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Most of the air quality monitoring stations which are being installed at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 venues have been completed and the work is underway on the remaining stations.
“The installation of a station at Al Janoub Stadium has been completed. The works are going on at Al Thumama Stadium and Al Bayt Stadium and soon all will be completed,” said Abdullah Ali Al Khulaifi, Head of Air Quality Department at the Monitoring Department and Environmental Laboratory at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
Speaking to The Peninsula, Al Khulaifi said that these stations will monitor air quality in 4km ambit surrounding the stadiums during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and beyond.
An air quality monitoring station has been installed at MIA which will cover Ras Abu Aboud Stadium.
Al Khulaifi added that the number of air quality monitoring stations in the country will increase to 50 before the end of 2022. “We have special standards for the installation of these stations therefore the installation is subject to the standards of the Ministry in order to give a correct reading. There are specific standards for monitoring and evaluating air quality,” he said.
He also said that an integrated national plan is being implemented to monitor air quality by measuring the concentration of pollutants in the surrounding air, identifying the causes of pollutants, and working on developing plans to avoid increase of the substances.
According to Qatar National Environment and Climate Change Strategy, the State of Qatar is committed to enhancing ambient and indoor air quality in line with the latest scientific development. All monitoring stations will be linked to form a national network to provide real time reliable data. Air quality data and modeling will be the basis for decision making to improve indoor and ambient air quality.
