Environment Authority Signs 3 Contracts with Academic Institutions to Put Research into Action

The Environment Authority today signed three contracts with academic institutions that won research projects funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. The first contract, signed with Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), covered two projects, the first of which is titled 'Multi-criteria decision analysis for sustainable management of the Omani coast: Sohar and Salalah ports as a case study". The project deals with the conservation of ecosystems through the implementation of sustainable management practices on the Omani coastal areas, with emphasis on Sohar and Salalah Ports. The SQU's second project, pertains to 'mysterious energy sources and natural radiation levels' in Oman. It provides a preliminary breakthrough into the health and social aspects of radiation on the population of Oman. The project seeks to establish a basic database and understand the scope of radiation exposure in Oman, to help develop guidelines to keep radiation levels within safety limits and protect the environm ent and human health. The second contract, signed with the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS), dealt with a research project titled 'Measuring the concentration of radioactive radon gas in Oman, with special emphasis on its impact on public health. The project focuses on measuring the concentration of radon gas and assessing indoor air quality. The third contract, signed with National University of Science and Technology (NU), is titled 'Revolutionizing the sustainability of special economic zones in Oman: valorization of pollutant currents' impact on products and developing a bio-electrochemical system-based biorefinery'. The project aims to convert waste materials or pollutants into valuable products through the establishment of a bio-refinery based on bio-electric systems. The facility is envisaged to extract maximum value from waste through the usage of innovative technologies by means of which pollutants are converted into valuable products. Dr. Abdullah bin Ali Al Amri, Chairman of the Environment Authority, said that the contracts signed by the Authority today with these national universities aim to study three important issues in environmental affairs. Al Amri added that the projects require 6 months to one year to yield results and provide effective solutions to the target environmental issues. He explained that each research project has a technical team and a steering committee to ensure that the research projects achieve the desired outcome in a timely manner. The contracts were signed by Dr. Abdullah Ali Al Amri, Chairman of the Environment Authority, HH Sayyid Dr. Fahd Al Julanda Al Said, Vice-Chancellor of Sultan Qaboos University, Dr. Said Hamad Al Ruba'ee, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, and Dr. Ali Saud Al Bimani, Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Science and Technology. Source: Oman News Agency