Symposium aims to tackle groundwater level rise in urban areas

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal), in co-operation with the Gulf Water Sciences and Technology Association (WSTA) and the Secretariat General of the GCC, held a symposium on "The Problem of Groundwater Level Rise in Urban Areas in GCC countries".
The event was attended by HE President of Ashghal Dr Eng Saad bin Ahmed al-Muhannadi, and a number of officials and academics interested in this field from Qatar and GCC countries.
The symposium aims to come up with policies and solutions to control the issue and raise these to decision-makers in GCC countries.
In addition to sharing scientific and applied knowledge while building the capacity of specialists in urban planning, hydrology, hydrogeology, engineering, environment, the meet discussed other issues relevant to the problem of groundwater level rise in urban areas in the GCC countries, Ashghal said in a statement yesterday.
Projects Affairs Director at Ashghal Eng Yousef al-Emadi said: "Through this co-operation, we look forward to discovering innovative, effective and sustainable technological solutions to control the problem of groundwater level rise in urban areas in the GCC to reduce its negative impact on the construction process, which in turn raises costs and affects the quality of projects and people's lives.
"At Ashghal, we are keen to make use of the groundwater and to implement sustainable solutions for water use, after ensuring its quality, in some of the projects of the authority," he added.
President of WSTA Eng Abdulrahman al-Mahmoud said the symposium aimed to explore the most significant problems that occurred in the region due to rapid urban development and population growth, especially in major cities.
These issues have made it challenging to harmonise the requirements of development and the large projects while preserving the infrastructure. He added it was crucial for the competent authorities to follow scientific research, to gain insight on the causes of the phenomenon that has arisen in several cities in Gulf countries and to look for scientific and practical solutions to address the problem. (QNA)