Urban growth in arid environments : developing water sustainability indicators for Abu Dhabi (UAE)

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) face a serious water problem. It has a very dry climate, high evaporation rate, combined with large water consumption from fast growing population, economic activities and uncontrolled uses of water for irrigation. Currently, UAE has one of the largest water footprints in the world. Groundwater is overexploited. Waste water is increasingly being treated to supply non-drinking water, but it still cover a small proportion of the demand. Desalination of sea water is the main source of potable water in UAE, but the high economic cost of desalination, its intensive energy demand and the adverse effects of its effluents on the marine life are a major concern. Other factors contributing to the problem are the focus of water management policies on keep supplying the growing demand for water, the increase of the per capita water consumption, and the free water charge for most of population. This research goal is to develop a water sustainability set of indicators for the challenging context of UAE. This paper presents the first stage of the research. Based on a review of the literature, the proposed framework involves 19 indicators, divided into four categories: water availability; water quality; water use efficiency; and policy and governance. Using an integrated cause-effect approach (DSR - Driving force, State, Response), the indicators were related in terms of their interdependencies, with a holistic view of the city water cycle. A preliminary test of the indicators to Abu Dhabi as a case study allowed an evaluation of the main 'Driving force' on the system, such as the scarcity of water due to natural constraints of the region, and increasing water consumption patterns of modern society; an assessment of the current 'state', which is under serious water stress. Also it indicated some potential 'responses', such as implementing policies for increasing efficient use.

Environmental assessment methods in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is one of the fastest developed cities in the region. On top of all the current and future environmental challenges, Abu Dhabi aims to be among the top governments in the world in sustainable development. Abu Dhabi plans to create an attractive, livable and sustainable managed urban environment in which all necessary services and infrastructure are provided in a sustainable and timely manner. Abu Dhabi is engaged in a difficult challenge to develop credible environmental indicators that would assess the ambitious environmental targets. The aim of those indicators is to provide reliable guidance to decision makers and the public concerning key factors that determine the state of urban environment and identify major areas for policy intervention. In order to ensure sustainable development in UAE in general, and of Abu Dhabi City in particular, relevant and contextual environmental indicators need to be carefully considered. These indicators provide a gauge at a national government scale of how close countries are to establish environmental policy goals. The environment indicators assist city decision-making in such areas as identification of significant environmental aspects and observation of environmental performance trends. Those can help to find ways of reducing environmental pollution and in improving eco-efficiency. This paper outlines recent strategies implemented in Abu Dhabi that aims to improve the sustainable performance of the city's built environment. The paper explores the variety of current and possible indicators at different levels and their roles in the development of the city.

Developing Abu Dhabi's solid waste sustainability index (ADSWMI)

Fast urbanization and population and economic growth led to increased solid waste generation in Abu Dhabi in the last decades. Abu Dhabi generates 5.8 kg of municipal waste per day per person. This is well above the world average of 1.2 kg per day per person. Treatment and destination of the municipal solid waste is also problematic. Only 3.5% of the total municipal solid waste generation is recycled, and the remaining waste is disposed in landfills which are technically not adequate. In this context, sustainability indicators can play an important role in supporting decision makers in planning and managing the solid waste system. In this study, the waste management system in Abu Dhabi Emirate was analyzed through the implementation of a set of proposed sustainability indicators. The DSR Driving force-State-Response approach was used as the methodology to develop a framework for the context of Abu Dhabi. Twenty indicators, based on literature review and benchmarking, were divided into five categories: quantity & composition, environmental controls & resource management, construction & demolition waste, financial sustainability, and governances & policies. These indictors can be a baseline to assist decision makers to develop an integrated waste management system able to meet the high international standards and target in the field.

The contribution of Building Information Modelling (BIM) to Green Building Design and Assessment in Abu Dhabi "ESTIDAMA"

Estidama is a mandatory Green Building code in Abu Dhabi by which the compliance of building design is being assessed. This paper examines the current design and assessment approaches for Green Buildings to identify the reasons that lead to delay defects and it investigates a new approach for improvement. The available literature provides a realistic understanding to the problems and shows the road to some potential solutions. The identified problems were mainly attributed to the manual assessment with too much human interference. The piled documents with limited resources left the assessment system too slow to handle the whole projects within the greater Abu Dhabi engendering high risk of the commitment to review mistakes. Therefore, this paper investigates the potentiality of automating several stages via the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) into the assessment process. Different experienced participants from all aspects within the construction industry were interviewed to contribute to the research. Also, a close question questionnaire was distributed to examine the current practice in Abu Dhabi to compare it with the initial findings. The findings point out significant requirements to adopt BIM in the assessment process, such as the availability of proper contracts form to shape the relationship between BIM parties and the readiness of the current system. Hence, the authors suggest a new model that integrates BIM capabilities within the system to accelerate the process and reduce human involvement.

Developing a spatial decision support system for sustainable built environments in Abu Dhabi

 The research aims at developing a set of sustainability indicators for the challenging Abu Dhabi built environment and examine the possible use of GIS. The research has illustrated the real potential of the sustainability indicators for managing built environment sustainability performance and provides a clear perspective on how the proposed indicators can be used to develop a DSS to assess and improve Abu Dhabi’s sustainability.

Efeitos da prática do Jiu-Jitsu brasileiro no controle cognitivo de estudantes do Ensino Secundário da Rede Pública de Abu Dhabi, Emirados Árabes Unidos

Uma das formas de atividade física que tem revelado expressivos resultados na mediação comportamental e cognitiva são as Artes Marciais (AM). Dentre elas, o Jiu-Jitsu Brasileiro ou BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) tem se mostrado cada vez mais popular entre jovens de idade escolar, no entatanto nenhum estudo sobre os seus efeitos nas Funções Executivas (FE) foi encontrado. O objetivo desse estudo foi primeiramente, encontrar diferenças nas FE com a pratica do BJJ; secundariamente, pretendeu-se observar o tipo de correlação entre as FE e os niveis de participação; e por fim posicionar os resultados deste estudo a outros trabalhos similares da literatura científica. O estudo avaliou 125 alunos de uma escola pública de Abu Dhabi, antes e após 6 meses de prática, através de um modelo não randomizado. Após todas as exclusões, 59 alunos foram separados em 3 niveis de participação e correlacionados com os resultados do teste de Stroop (VST - Victoria Stroop Test). Os resultados deste estudo mostraram que 30 sessões de BJJ, foram suficientes para oferecer significativas diferenças no Controle Inibitório (CI). Sua boa participação (2 a 3 vezes por semana), não somente mostrou grande tamanho de efeito (SE) comparado a baixa e media participação, como maiores SE comparado a outras formas de Atividade Fisica e Artes Marciais Tradicionais como o Tae Kwon Do e Wu Shu (Kung Fu). Com uma moderada correlação, sua participação apontou uma capacidade de influenciar em 20,8% o (CI) sobre atividades automáticas, bem como 27,3% a distração sobre atividades irrelevantes. Esses achados sugerem que a pratica do BJJ possa levar a melhoras nas Funções Executivas de pré-adolescentes nativos dos Emirados Arabes Unidos.

Water quality of two semi-closed areas in the United Arab Emirates Coast along the Arabian Gulf:a comparative study

A comparative study was carried out between the two biggest creeks along the Arabian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates to evaluate impacts of sewage and industrial effluents on their hydrochemical characteristics. Surface and bottom water samples were collected from Abu Dhabi and Dubai creeks during the period from October 1994 to September 1995. The hydrochemical parameters studied were: temperature (21.10-34.00°C), salinity (37.37-47.09%), transparency (0.50-10.0 m), pH (7.97-8.83), dissolved oxygen (1.78-13.93 mg/l) and nutrients ammonia (ND- 13.12,ug-at N/1), nitrite (ND-6.66 ,ug-at N/1), nitrate (ND- 41.18 ,ug-at N/1), phosphate (ND- 13.06 ,ug-at P/1), silicate (0.68-32.50 ,ug-at Si/1), total phosphorus (0.26- 21.48 ,ug-at P/1), and total silicon (0.95- 40.32 ,ug-at Si/1). The present study indicates clearly that seawater of Abu-Dhabi Creek was warmer (28.l2°C) than Dubai (27.56°C) resulting in a higher rate of evaporation. Owing to more evaporation, salinity levels showed higher levels at Abu Dhabi (43.33%) compared to Dubai (39.03%) seawater. The study also revealed higher secchi disc readings at Abu Dhabi Creek (4.68 m) as compared to Dubai Creek (2.60 m) suggesting more transparency at Abu Dhabi Creek. Whereas, seawater of Dubai exhibited higher levels of pH (1.03 times), and dissolved oxygen (1.05 times) than Abu Dhabi seawater due to an increase in productivity. Meantime, seawater of Dubai showed higher tendency to accumulate ammonia (8.22 times), nitrite (10.93 times), nitrate (5.85 times), phosphate (10.64 times), silicate (1.60 times), total phosphorus (3.19 times), and total silicon (1.54 times) compared to Abu Dhabi seawater due to the enrichment of seawater at Dubai with domestic sewage waters which has distinctly elevated the levels of the nutrient salts particularly in inner-most parts of the creek leading to eutrophication signs. The changes occurred in the receiving creek water of Dubai as a result of waste-water disposal that have also reflected on the atomic ratios of nit: Effect of pollution rogen: phosphorus: silicon.

Properties of seawater from a Sea-Bird TSG temperature and conductivity sensor mounted on the continuous surface water sampling system during campaign TARA_20100302Z of the Tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013

The Tara Oceans Expedition (2009-2013) sampled the world oceans on board a 36 m long schooner, collecting environmental data and organisms from viruses to planktonic metazoans for later analyses using modern sequencing and state-of-the-art imaging technologies. Tara Oceans Data are particularly suited to study the genetic, morphological and functional diversity of plankton. The present data publication contains measurements from the Continuous Surface Sampling System [CSSS] made during one campaign of the Tara Oceans Expedition. Water was pumped at the front of the vessel from ~2m depth, then de-bubbled and circulated to a Sea-Bird TSG temperature and conductivity sensor. System maintenance (instrument cleaning, flushing) was done approximately once a week and in port between successive legs. All data were stamped with a GPS.

Environmental context of all samples from the Tara Oceans Expedition (2009-2013), about water column features

The Tara Oceans Expedition (2009-2013) sampled the world oceans on board a 36 m long schooner, collecting environmental data and organisms from viruses to planktonic metazoans for later analyses using modern sequencing and state-of-the-art imaging technologies. Tara Oceans Data are particularly suited to study the genetic, morphological and functional diversity of plankton. The present data set provides environmental context to all samples from the Tara Oceans Expedition (2009-2013), about water column features at the sampling location. Based on in situ measurements of... at the...

Vertical profiles of environmental parameters measured on discrete water samples collected with Niskin bottles at station TARA_999 during the Tara Oceans expedition 2009-2013

The Tara Oceans Expedition (2009-2013) was a global survey of ocean ecosystems aboard the Sailing Vessel Tara. It carried out extensive measurements of evironmental conditions and collected plankton (viruses, bacteria, protists and metazoans) for later analysis using modern sequencing and state-of-the-art imaging technologies. Tara Oceans Data are particularly suited to study the genetic, morphological and functional diversity of plankton. The present data set includes properties of seawater, particulate matter and dissolved matter that were measured from discrete water samples collected with Niskin bottles during the 2009-2013 Tara Oceans expedition. Properties include pigment concentrations from HPLC analysis (10 depths per vertical profile, 25 pigments per depth), the carbonate system (Surface and 400m; pH (total scale), CO2, pCO2, fCO2, HCO3, CO3, Total alkalinity, Total carbon, OmegaAragonite, OmegaCalcite, and dosage Flags), nutrients (10 depths per vertical profile; NO2, PO4, N02/NO3, SI, quality Flags), DOC, CDOM, and dissolved oxygen isotopes. The Service National d'Analyse des Paramètres Océaniques du CO2, at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, determined CT and AT potentiometrically. More than 200 vertical profiles of these properties were made across the world ocean. DOC, CDOM and dissolved oxygen isotopes are available only for the Arctic Ocean and Arctic Seas (2013).