How do you personally and professionally relate to water and/or space technologies?

Water and space technologies are intertwined in my work. Professionally, I use satellite data (e.g., Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), remote sensing) to monitor water resources and predict droughts in Jordan. Personally, growing up in a water-scarce region motivated me to innovate solutions for sustainable management.

Can you tell us about your current position as a Technical Advisor-Researcher at the Royal Jordanian Geographic Centre?

I advise on geospatial projects, integrating satellite data for environmental monitoring. My role involves research on drought modelling, capacity building, and collaborating with international agencies.

What is your proudest professional moment or most important project you worked on?

One of my defining milestones was becoming the first woman appointed as Deputy Director General of the Royal Jordanian Geographic Centre (RJGC), where I led 400 employees and managed strategic national projects—breaking barriers for women in Jordan’s geospatial sector.

Professionally, I’m deeply proud of:

• Earned my Ph.D. with First Award for Excellent Student honours for pioneering research on drought prediction models and assessing the impacts of climate change in Jordan’s Amman-Zarqa Basin, and informed policy recommendations for sustainable water resource management.
• In October 2023, I was honoured to be nominated as a Counsellor for the Women's Science Committee of the China Association of Remote Sensing Application during the Forum of Global Women Scientists in the Field of Spatial Information.
• Leading Jordan’s team in the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) CANSAT program (2022), where we built and launched a functional satellite—a leap for Arab space capabilities.
• Receiving the International Platinum Medal for Women Change Makers (2021) and Jordan’s Employee Extraordinary Degree (2023), the highest civil service accolade.

These moments reflect my dual commitment to advancing space technology and women’s leadership in space science applications.

Thinking of water resources management, what are the key issues we need to address in arid regions?

Scarcity, over-extraction, and climate variability. Solutions require better data (e.g., satellite monitoring), policy reforms and community engagement.

What are your key concerns related to climate change in Jordan, and in the MENA region respectively?

Desertification, erratic rainfall, groundwater depletion, flash floods and drought occurrences.

How can space technology applications be used for climate change mitigation?

Space technologies provide critical tools for climate monitoring and mitigation. In my research, I’ve leveraged remote sensing (e.g., Sentinel, Landsat) and GNSS data to:

• Track droughts with different indices combined with machine learning and time series models, as demonstrated in my Ph.D. thesis on Jordan’s Amman-Zarqa Basin.
• Assess land-use changes through satellite imagery to evaluate climate impacts on water resources (published in MDPI Sustainability).

These applications enable precise, large-scale environmental analysis—essential for policymaking in arid regions like Jordan.

A lot of your research focused on drought management; what is your motivation to research this area? What are the challenges and gaps?

My motivation to focus on drought management stems from Jordan’s acute vulnerability to water scarcity and the increasing frequency of droughts due to climate change. As a country located in one of the driest regions in the world, Jordan faces severe challenges in maintaining water security for agriculture, domestic use, and ecosystem sustainability. This reality inspired me to contribute to developing data-driven tools that can support better preparedness and decision-making.

Key challenges in this field include the lack of long-term, high-resolution historical climate and vegetation data, which limits accurate trend analysis. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the scalability of local drought models to broader regional applications, which is essential for national-level planning. Bridging these gaps requires integrating remote sensing technologies with ground data, advancing predictive models, and fostering stronger institutional coordination for drought monitoring and response.

Please tell us more about your work on remote sensing and drought indices evaluation in the Amman-Zarqa Basin.

In my research, I focused on evaluating drought patterns in the AZB, one of Jordan's most critical and water-stressed regions—using remote sensing data. I specifically analysed two satellite-derived vegetation indices: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Vegetation Condition Index (VCI). NDVI is used to assess vegetation greenness and biomass, while VCI normalizes NDVI values over time to highlight deviations from historical vegetation health, which is directly linked to drought conditions.

By monitoring these indices over a multi-year period, I was able to identify spatial and temporal trends in vegetation stress related to rainfall variability and water availability. These indicators are highly valuable for developing predictive drought models that can assist policymakers in making timely, evidence-based decisions.

Key variables that inform policy decisions in this context include:

• Vegetation stress levels (as indicated by NDVI and VCI trends)
• Spatial extent of affected agricultural zones
• Correlations with precipitation and temperature anomalies
• Risk areas for reduced crop yield or land degradation

This information allows decision-makers to prioritize drought-prone areas, allocate water resources more efficiently, and implement early intervention strategies such as changing cropping patterns or activating support programs for farmers. It also supports the development of national drought monitoring systems that are essential for building climate resilience in Jordan.

How have your studies in Civil Engineering and Navigation influenced your work in environmental monitoring and remote sensing?

My academic foundations have been instrumental in shaping my technical approach:

• Civil Engineering (University of Damascus) gave me rigorous training in spatial analysis, surveying, and infrastructure systems—skills I directly applied to projects like updating Jordan's topographic maps and managing water resource programs with NGOs.
• GNSS/GIS studies (Polytechnic di Torino) equipped me with satellite positioning expertise, which became the backbone of my drought monitoring systems using time-series data and machine learning (ML) models.

This combination allows me to bridge engineering precision with space-based solutions—for example, applying structural analysis principles to evaluate landscape changes in my MDPI-published land-use studies.

What roles do GIS and machine learning play in your research? Can you share any insights into the significance of geospatial analysis in environmental monitoring?

GIS visualises climate trends; ML (e.g., ARIMA and TBATS models) predicts droughts, and geospatial analysis turns raw data into actionable insights.  

You have made significant contributions to women’s empowerment in space. What advice would you give to young professionals, especially women looking for a career in space science and technology?

As someone who broke barriers as the first woman Deputy Director at RJGC, here is my advice:

• Build strong skills

Focus on math, coding, and technical basics - they're the foundation for everything in space tech. Get hands-on practice whenever you can.

• Don't let doubters stop you

I faced many "first woman" challenges in my career. What worked? Focusing on results. When you deliver excellent work (like my drought prediction research), people remember your achievements, not your gender.

• Connect different skills

My civil engineering background actually helped my space work - like using mapping skills for drought monitoring. Your unique mix of knowledge can lead to fresh solutions.

• Speak up confidently

Whether at conferences or meetings, prepare well and share your ideas. My presentations about Jordan's space needs opened doors I never expected.

To all young women: The space field needs your talents. Your perspective can solve problems others might miss. My journey from engineer to space researcher to leader proves that with hard work and belief in yourself, you can achieve amazing things.

What do you need to innovate?

Collaboration, funding and open data policies. Jordan needs more investment in space-tech infrastructure.

What is your favorite aggregate state of water?

As I am working with Jordan's water resources, I must say liquid water holds special significance for our arid nation. While all water states are scientifically fascinating, liquid water represents life and survival in Jordan - whether it's the dwindling flows of the Jordan River, the underground aquifers we carefully monitor, or the treated wastewater we reclaim for agriculture.

I appreciate water vapour the most. Monitoring atmospheric moisture through satellite data helps us predict rainfall patterns and droughts - critical for our climate-vulnerable country where 90 per cent of the land receives less than 200mm of rain annually. The "invisible" vapour state ultimately determines whether Jordan will have enough liquid water to sustain our communities.