Dr. Ahmet Aksakal, Consultant at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC)
Doha, Qatar: Qatar has placed air quality among the highest priorities and adopted effective projects to manage it through the development of a unified national network for monitoring air quality. The country has 40 air quality monitoring stations which are expected to reach over 45 stations by the end of 2024, said an expert.
Speaking to The Peninsula, Dr. Ahmet Aksakal, Consultant at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC), said, “We work from beginning with the monitoring stage at air quality monitoring stations to the arrival of the data to the Ministry until the last stage which is writing and reviewing reports on air quality and its condition through the data collected and the Environmental Data Monitoring and Analysis Unit.”
The government is putting a lot of effort and spending a lot for the air quality purposes to monitor and keep the air quality in high levels. It is also investing a lot of manpower and resources for having good air quality. Other government agencies like Civil Aviation Department are also having several programmes regarding this.
Elaborating the methodologies used in the sector, Dr. Aksakal said the methodologies used are mechanisms and programmes specialised in monitoring air quality approved by international bodies such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) and the State of Qatar relies on the same mechanisms and monitoring devices approved by it which represents the highest level of quality and reliability.
Air pollution has a harmful effect on health of human beings, animals and plant life. Therefore, it is an important issue to study, monitor, and keep track on the pollution from its source.
“We adapted US-EPA practices in our regulation because it is the largest environmental body in the world. The methodologies that we monitor are based on US-EPA that is the standards, techniques and regulations,” he added.
The expert stated that when the air pollutants are emitted into the atmosphere they are affected by two factors, one is the topography — the terrain; second one is the meteorology. Therefore, all these factors must be known before evaluating the air quality conditions in a region otherwise a complete correct evaluation cannot be done.
Dr. Aksakal explained that the air quality system in the State of Qatar has witnessed rapid development in recent years, thanks to the great interest in the air quality file and its rapid development through the national development strategy in its various stages. This has placed the air quality file among the highest priorities and adopted effective projects to manage air quality ideally through the establishment and development of a unified national network for monitoring air quality which has so far reached 40 air quality monitoring stations and is being expanded continuously.
“Currently we have 40 air quality monitoring stations inside Qatar operating around the clock and by end of this year it is expected to reach more than 45 monitoring stations. This will contribute directly to monitoring and ensuring air quality in accordance with the highest international standards,” he said.
In air quality improvements based on the US-EPA, “we established real time monitoring so there will not be any gap in between the monitoring and the results. All the monitoring activities are based on these principles, so we monitor and report based on that.”
“We are not just monitoring the air quality but also documenting whatever we monitor through monthly, weekly, semi-annual, and annual air quality reports. All the records and data are stored according to international standard state-of-the-art way for the future use,” the expert added.
The expert also shared some successful initiatives by the government or private sectors to maintain air quality in Qatar. During recent years, before the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, there were many successful initiatives, and many important achievements were achieved that contributed to making a qualitative leap in preserving air quality in the State of Qatar.
Dr. Aksakal further said the most important of these achievements was the adoption of Ministerial Resolution No. (310) of 2020 on air quality, which directly contributed to supporting the national network for monitoring air quality, identifying approved monitoring stations, and unifying operating procedures for all stations in the country in accordance with the highest international standards, which facilitated access to correct and accurate information about air quality. The launch of the air quality platform facilitates the public’s knowledge of air quality in a transparent, simple and accurate manner.
The most important achievements to date to protect air quality in the State of Qatar include:
- Establishment of the national network for monitoring air quality.
- Implementing a national plan to monitor air quality around areas of environmental pressure and areas of important activities such as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 venues and others.
- Strengthening early warning system and establishing a unit for monitoring and analysing air quality data.
- Electronically linking all air quality monitoring stations in the country and standardising their work in accordance with international standards.
- Implementing mobile station monitoring programmes and monitoring various places not covered by fixed stations.
- Continuous modernisation and development of ambient air monitoring stations.
- Launching the air quality platform for the public.
All of this necessitates the state to make tremendous efforts to preserve air quality, and this is what has actually been done through the national development strategy in its various stages, which placed the air quality file among the highest priorities and adopted effective projects to manage air quality perfectly, through the establishment and development of a unified national network to monitor air quality.
