Doha, September 17 (QNA) - The Public Works Authority (Ashghal), in cooperation 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", with the attendance of 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 this issue and raise them to decision-makers in the GCC countries. In addition to sharing scientific and applied knowledge while building the capacity of specialists in the fields of urban planning, hydrology, hydrogeology, engineering, environment, and other fields relevant to the problem of groundwater level rise in urban areas in the GCC countries, Ashghal said in a statement today.

On this occasion, Projects Affairs Director at Ashghal Eng. Yousef Al Emadi said: "Through this cooperation, 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, including water use after ensuring its quality in some of the projects of the Authority, through sand washing that is used in projects and dust control at work sites," he added.

President of WSTA Eng. Abdulrahman Al Mahmoud stated that the symposium is aimed at exploring the most significant problems that are occurred in our region because of the rapid urban developments and the population growth, especially in major cities. These issues have made it challenging to harmonize the requirements of development and the large projects while preserving the infrastructure. As well as face the various impacts on the population and the surrounding environment.

He added that 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 our Gulf countries and look for the scientific and practical solutions to address the problem. (QNA)