Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute

(QEERI)

The 2nd Advisory Meeting on Maintaining an Integrated Household Surveys

Implementation Process

Dr. Rabi E. Mohtar&

Dr.Yasir E. Mohieldeen

3 Oct 2012

- Introduction to QEERI- QEERI’s work- Data requirement- Data issues to be explored

Structure:

To ensure sustainable development and management of Qatar’s energy and natural resources, preserving the quality of life of future generations and making Qatar a leader in cutting- edge energy and environment research

QEERI Vision

QEERI Mission

To conduct and coordinate multi-disciplinary research that will address critical national priorities in energy and the environment, by integrating knowledge of the environment, food, energy and water resources in ways appropriate for Qatar and the region.

Strategic Plan Overview (2012-2016)

QEERI Projects

1) Air Quality modeling:- With collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, The Supreme Council of Health (SCH), Total & The Ministry of Energy/QP.- Objective is to map and model spatial distribution of pollutants in Qatar.- Will provide real time maps monitoring air quality. - Currently a pilot project focusing on area in Doha- 20km centered at QF.

2) Solar AtlasPI: Chmeissani, Darwish & El Gendy.

- Assess and map solar energy potentials in Qatar.- Satellite imagery and ground measurements of solar radiation will be used: Optical Thickness/depth, LIDAR.- Modeling and interpolations techniques will be applied.

Why Solar Energy?- Natural Gas and oil are finite and consumptions are excessively on rise.- Cost- This elongates the life of oil and natural gas resources,- Keep the return income from their export- Limits the emissions of Greenhouse Gases & air polluting gases

Soil is « present » at all organizational levels of the agro- eco-systems

HYDRO-PEDO-STRUCTURE et BIO

PEDONet  soil surface

Agronomical, pedological Mapping units

Geomorphological, landscape …, mapping units

MICROSCALE(Soil medium)

HUMANSCALE(soil surface)

GLOBALSCALE(Earth systems)

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Studies of processes in the organized soil medium___________________________________________________________________________________________________________www.biologie.ens.fr/bioemco

MACROSCALE(soil mapping)

3) Soil & Water modeling (multi-scale hydrological modeling)

PI: E. Braudeau

Challenge: coupling soil bio-geo-chemical and physical models with the organized soil system

Many processes in soil - Organic Mater

mineralization- Roots dynamic and

growing- Microbiology life- N and C cycles- Pesticides transfer,

accumulation etc.- Plants feeding

Three fundamental questions:

1. What is the appropriate soil typology to be used in representing the system?

2. What soil hydro-structural properties to be used (characterization)?

3. What is the thermodynamics of this system including the living organisms?

Soil is a physical organized medium allowing for life. It interacts with water and air that surround the solid phase of the soil structure.

Spatial modeling of the bio-soil activity using soil mapping

The pedon, Representative Elementary Volume of a soil

mapping unit

4) Biodiversity:

Data Source: Ministry of Environment

PI: Dr. Aurora Castilla

Mapping of specific terrestrial plant and animal species in Qatar:- Inventory surveys - GPS registration of species locations - Habitat Suitability Analysis

Thank You

Habitat Suitability Analysis modelling using GIS:

Other layers will be included: climate, vegetation, ..etc

4) Biodiversity… cont

5) Water Quality

PI: Dr. Shomar

• Understanding the groundwater aquifer system in Qatar• Identification the environmentally hotspots affecting

groundwater quality• Establishment of groundwater monitoring strategy,

assessment and interpretation• Mapping of groundwater quality in Qatar using GIS and RS • Assessment of intrinsic vulnerability to contamination for

Qatar aquifer using Integrated GIS and Earth Observation (EO) systems

• Use the results of the study in supporting policy and decision making on water laws, acts, planning and management

6) Soil Quality

PI: Dr. Shomar

• Investigate the geochemistry of the topsoil in Qatar.

• Identify the major natural and anthropogenic inputs affecting soil quality.• Extract the spatial patterns of these inputs using GIS and RS, field observations and laboratory analyses.

• Provide sophisticated querying and visualization tools at national scale.

• Produced maps to develop and design priority soil management/land use planning specifying the particular remedial measures that have to be applied on a preventive, protective and restorative basis.

• Develop a platform for the EIA of the activities above the ground (industry, agriculture, tourism etc.) on the soil quality.

• Use the results of the study in supporting policy and decision making on soil related issues, planning and management.

Other studies

- Dust storms modeling- Ecological mapping- Outreach and sustainability- Marine biodiversity- Energy Footprint - CO2- Water, Energy and Food Nexus (WEF)- Heat wave modeling in Qatar

Heat Wave modelling

2 years HWI projection

• Base maps: International & administrative boundaries; roads, cities,

villages, topography, …etc.

• Population census data

• Agriculture & Livestock: Production and export/import: livestock, food, ..etc

• Agricultural input: fertilizers (types & amount), water, energy

• Meteorology: temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind speed/direction, solar

radiation, …etc.

• Air quality data

• Soil data and maps

• Geology & Lithology

Data requirement

• Groundwater and wells: aquifers, locations, discharge, water chemical and physical

properties.

• Mangroves and Protected Area

• Utilities : water network, electricity & Qtel.

• Landuse

• Vegetation cover/map

• Water treatment plants: location, production, …etc.

• Environmental hot-spots

• Environmental Health: air/water/food borne diseases

• Energy and water consumption

• Awareness & conservation

Data requirement …con

• Urbanization: projected plan.• Energy : Sources and usage

• Data request for WEF project1. List of food products consumed in Qatar2. Total Domestic production (ton) per food product [Total domestic production under open agriculture (ton) and total domestic under protected conditions (ton), per product]3. Imports (ton) per food product4. Countries of import and respective amounts (ton) per food product5. Land requirements – for open and protected (ton/ha), per food product6. Market price of domestic products (QAR/ton), per product7. Market price of imported products (QAR/ton), per product8. Fertilizer requirements per food products grown locally? (kg NPK/ton, other ?)…9. Water requirements per food product grown locally (m3/ton) under open and protected agriculture10. Projections for population (10 year-20year)11. Projections for food prices (10 year-20year)

Data requirement …con

• Data request for the CO2 emission- houses by type (villas, apartments: small, medium, large)- cars (numbers and types)- households expenditures on fuel, electricity, water.- number of air conditions by house type.- CO2 emissions

Data requirement …con

1) Data Quality measures2) Data Quality and assurance measure and

mechanism3) Meta-data : data about the data4) Follow international standards for data classification: LCC, OGC, FAO soil classification, USGS soil, EPA,… etc

Example of bad practices:- Farms and settlements are used as classes in the Soil map of Qatar.- Landuse classes don’t follow LCC standards.- No meta-data describing the data, the date of collection,

errors, method of collection,..etc.

Data Issues to be Explored