The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) represented by Environmental Monitoring and Laboratory Department has announced plans to increase the number of air quality monitoring stations to 50 by 2022.
The Department is upgrading the national network for monitoring air quality according to the highest international standard to make it the largest in the region. The network provides necessary capabilities to analyse data and determine the effects and sources of air pollution across the country.
Details about the network and station were given by MME officials in a media interactive session organised yesterday by the Environmental Sector of the Ministry to demonstrate the achievements of the Department and to introduce its services.
“The Department is implementing a comprehensive plan to monitor air quality around the stadiums and training venues for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, in cooperation with Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC),” said Director of Environmental Monitoring and Laboratory Department at MME, Eng Hassan Ali Al Qasimi.
Under the plan, he said, an air quality monitoring station equipped with the best international technologies near the training grounds at Qatar University has become operational and connected with the national air quality monitoring network.
“Two air quality monitoring stations have been installed at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakra and Al Thumama Stadium. Now we are preparing to commence them and connect with the network,” said Al Qasimi.
Head of Air Quality Section, Abdullah Ali Al Khulaifi, said that the national network for monitoring air quality is connected with 20 air quality monitoring stations at present.
“The network is expanding to be the largest national monitoring network in the region according to the highest international standards,” said Al Khulaifi.
He said that the network will have over 30 air quality monitoring stations in the country owned by MME and 20 monitoring stations by entities out of the ministry until 2022. Head of the Water Environment Quality Section, Ali Jassim Al Kuwari said that the section is working on an integrated programme covering 43 different locations at coastal areas for taking sea water samples and 52 locations for taking soil samples to check the pollution.
“We are working on a project to establish a national electronic network for stations for continuous monitoring water quality and early warning for the marine environment,” said Al Kuwari.
Head of the Environmental Laboratory Department, Dr. Marwa Al Ghanem said that the section is in the process of making a comprehensive expansion of the environmental laboratory to develop the air quality laboratory and the biological laboratory, with the aim of obtaining the ISO certificate.
Head of the Environmental Systems Section, Farida Al Mousa, said that the section is responsible for monitoring data and indicators related to air quality, sea water quality and soil quality, and it issues technical reports on environment condition of the country.
