Doha: Minister of Environment and Climate Change HE Sheikh Dr Faleh bin Nasser bin Ali Al-Thani inaugurated the environmental data monitoring and analysis unit in the State of Qatar, affirming that all air quality monitoring stations across various areas in the country show that pollution rates are lower than normal or within normal limits.
In an exclusive statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Wednesday on the sidelines of the inauguration, the minister explained that dust in the air is not a major concern, because it is not considered an industrial pollutant, but rather a natural pollutant that exists in varying rates in all countries of the world. He stressed that the Ministry is working to reduce this ratio and improve air quality even more.
The Minister added that the air quality monitoring unit in the State of Qatar consists of 40 fixed and mobile stations spread across different areas in the country, and that stations belonging to other entities such as QatarEnergy, the Meteorology Department, Ashghal, the Ministry of Public Health and others will be linked to them later, so that information is transferred between these entities easily to monitor and analyze the observed data.
He said that these stations have basic global air quality indicators and standards, and are integrated and equipped with state-of-the-art devices and technologies, noting that the Ministry has installed a station in the vicinity of each of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 venues to monitor air quality in stadiums and crowded areas. These air quality stations are located on a distance of 5 square kilometers, and they analyze data, track the source of pollution and notify the concerned authorities to take the necessary action, he added.
For his part, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Environmental Affairs ate the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Abdulhadi Almarri said that the environmental data monitoring and analysis unit in the State of Qatar represents a protection and sustainability for the Qatari environment, by monitoring any environmental pollution in it, pointing out that the environmental sector is always working to develop its tools, mechanisms and programs within the operational management plans of Ministry's sustainable strategy.
He noted that the environment sector launched many initiatives and organized many events to achieve the national development's goals and strategy of the State of Qatar related to the field of sustainability, and to educate the community about the importance of protecting the environment and its resources and sustainability according to the approved strategies.
Almarri indicated that the environmental data monitoring and analysis unit in the State of Qatar serves scientific environmental studies on air quality and studies the long-term impacts of climate change, as it collects real-time, continuous and high-accuracy data on ambient air quality through stations distributed across the country and linked to the Ministry's national network.
Director of the Department of Monitoring and Environmental Laboratory in the Ministry Eng. Hassan Al Qassimi said that the launch of the environmental data monitoring and analysis unit in the State of Qatar will help in obtaining high-accuracy data on air quality and identifying the sources of pollutants and their impact, whether they are fixed or mobile sources, such as measuring the impact of transportation, car movement and the transport network on the air quality, and determine the impact of cross-border pollution on the State of Qatar.
He underlined that the launch of this unit is an important step in air quality forecasting in the country and in supporting the early warning system, as well as the immediate and future air quality modeling. Data will also be presented and published in the form of environmental indicators to the public.
He also indicated that the environmental data monitoring and analysis unit is one of the most important and leading units in the region, as it includes state-of-the-art and international technologies, tools and devices, and enjoys data automation and modeling. It also has a real-time forecasting and early warning system according to the highest standards, he added.
In the same context Head of Air Quality Department Ali Al Khulaifi said that there are numerous sources for the environmental data monitoring and analysis unit, including air quality monitoring stations located around the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums, air quality monitoring stations distributed throughout the country, roadside stations, mobile stations and the meteorological network, as well as data from various external stations in the country and satellite images. All of these sources and data are displayed and entered into the environmental data monitoring and analysis unit, which collects these data, ensures their quality, reviews them by specialists and the system, displays them in the form of timely and future reports and models, and gives early warning when there is any possibility of ambient air quality being affected, which ensures a quick response to avoid any possible incidents.
The environmental data monitoring and analysis unit aims to improve monitoring of ambient air quality data in the State of Qatar and to monitor and analyze environmental data, through fixed and mobile stations distributed across the country that operate continuously and in real time to maintain air quality at the highest standards.
