Doha: The growing global population, rising sea levels, and environmental and climatic challenges have magnified calls to adopt sustainability practices and sustainable development.
The onus has fallen on governments in partnership with the private sector and other vital economic and social stimulators to ensure a more positive and sustainable culture. In this regard, engineers play an essential role in sustainable development by planning and building projects that preserve natural resources, are cost-efficient and support human and natural environments. Sustainable development would enable people worldwide to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life for future generations.
In an interview with The Peninsula, Dr. Awni Al Otoom, Dean of College of Engineering Technology and Industrial Trades at the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST), said “sustainability is no longer a commodity, but a necessity,” and engineering would drive the policies to combat environmental challenges.
“To maintain sustainable systems in any setting, it is important to design, implement, build, optimise and improve processes that constitute these systems based on proven scientific knowledge. Engineering is the application of science and technology into real-world practices for better human life. Therefore, engineering all of these processes is essential without compromising resources and the environment,” Dr. Al Otoom said.
Dr. Al Otoom emphasised that engineering is key to combating environmental challenges by providing alternative solutions to meet the growing human demand while protecting the environment. He said renewable energy alternatives and carbon sequestration are examples of engineering’s vital role in combating environmental challenges. “Growing Carbon Dioxide emissions is one of the key issues that hinder the global environmental stability. It is a shared responsibility to find solutions that reduce these emissions. Engineers try to scale up the scientific innovations at the research laboratory level to an industrial scale process that would significantly help maintain an acceptable level of emissions,” Dr. Al Otoom noted.
The Middle East is warming at twice the rest of the world. The region’s biggest economies rely heavily on industry and refining, which are difficult to decarbonise. However, most countries in the region, especially Qatar, have shown actions and pledges to cut carbon emissions in the future. Experts have warned that the average annual global temperature must be kept from lingering at or above 1.5 degrees Celsius to avoid the most catastrophic and long-term effects of climate change.
According to Dr. Al Otoom, since the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Gulf Corporation Council (GCC), countries are fortunate to have an excess of 330 sunny days per year. This presents the perfect location to use solar photovoltaic technologies to generate power and thus reducing greenhouse emissions. “Water is also scarce in this region; renewable energy can significantly help water desalination with minimal environmental negative impacts,” he stressed. Qatar launched a national climate change action plan last year to achieve a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, according to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
Accordingly, Qatar also plans to reduce the carbon intensity of its LNG facilities by 25% by 2030. Therefore, for these goals to be achieved, it is apt that the nation’s higher institutions ensure their curriculum advocates these measures. Institutions like UDST, through short and long-term strategic plans, can spread knowledge, awareness, and accountability and encourage a greater sense of responsibility for graduates towards sustainable development of available resources, processes and opportunities.
“One of the most important roles of tertiary education institutions is to build future community leaders that improve the living standards in their community with an eye on global challenges, hence, graduating responsible global citizens. Tertiary higher education institutions are also responsible for finding solutions that serve the community and the globe,” Dr. Al Otoom said.
He proposed that tertiary institutions can achieve this by integrating sustainability, environmental awareness and ethics in tertiary curricula via core courses that cover these issues. Another example is initiating problem-based courses that address global environmental challenges and sustainability. He also highlighted research and development that specifically target these challenges and aim to find practical, sustainable solutions as possible options.
So far, Qatar plans to convert 25 percent of public transport to electric in 2022 before the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. “I believe that policies and laws on utilising, encouraging, and regulating renewable energy use are essential,” Dr. Al Otoom noted, adding that policies regarding EVs, waste management, reuse and recycling should be encouraged.
