Mohanna ZareiPhD student

About me

I am Mohanna, a civil engineer with a deep interest in research on water-climate interactions and the co-variability of terrestrial water systems at the global scale in the interface of science and policy. I believe water is not just a natural resource, but also a cultural, magical, and sacred symbol of life that conducts light, purity, joy, fertility, healing, and wisdom by "Anahita", ancient Iranian goddess as the divinity of "the Waters". My M.Sc. period was a great opportunity for me to gain more knowledge about one of the most pristine natural water resources in the west of Iran, Kurdistan, called "Kani Bil (Bil Spring)". It is of very significant cultural value and has many references in the identity and literature as an ancient and generous gift of mother nature to humans. However, it is in danger of death because of the dam construction nearby. So, it became a new source of inspiration in my research life, which gave me the perspective to see the big picture. It made me think and taught me that even places with rich natural resources aren’t safe from human greed, which has no end. Dams are not monsters that come from nowhere or other planets; they are just human-constructed tools, and inappropriate use of them in unnecessary geographical regions is ruining natural resources. Recently the appearance of several sinkholes in most of the areas of my hometown due to the drastic drainage of groundwater resources, nonstop conflicts over water in my region, and too many other clear ominous signs, piqued my curiosity to pursue my research as a PhD student with the dream of making a positive contribution in the field. If you are interested in knowing more about my journey, feel free to take a look at:

I.Mohanna Zarei & Georgia Destouni, Research gaps and priorities for tressterial water and Earth System connections from catchment to Global scale, Earth's Future, Wiley, 2024.(https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EF003792),

II. Mohanna Zarei & Georgia Destouni, Database for terrestrial water system research, Zenodo, 2023. (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7839925),

III.My invited interview with the prestigious Eos at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) about how Climate Change Uproots Global Agriculture; water-energy-food resources security especially in the Middle East, challenges, policies and potential solutions, Wiley & Sons, 2021. (https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EO153339),

IV.Mohanna Zarei, The Water-Energy-Food Nexus: A Holistic Approach for Resource Security in Iran, Iraq, and Turkey, Water-Energy Nexus, Elsevier, 2020.  (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wen.2020.05.004),

V.Mohanna Zarei, Wastewater Resources Management for Energy Recovery from Circular Economy Perspective, Water-Energy Nexus, Elsevier, 2020. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wen.2020.11.001),

VI.Mohanna Zarei et al., Zirconia Nanoparticle Modified Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanosheets for Effective Photocatalytic Degradation of 4-Nitrophenol in Water, Applied Water Science, Springer, 2019. (https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-019-1076-8),

VII.Mohanna Zarei et al., Self-Propelled Micro/Nanomotors for Sensing and Environmental Remediation, Small, Wiley & Sons, 2018. (https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.201800912), etc.