The Sharjah Research Academy organised a workshop on ‘Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Methods in cooperation with the University of Sharjah, Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) and QATRA, a joint venture to develop a new water reuse plant in Sharjah.

The workshop was part of the efforts to promote sustainability and reduce the overuse of natural water resources. It was held at Sharjah Research Academy’s headquarters in Sharjah’s University City in the presence of a number of officials and researchers from the Academy, the University of Sharjah and various government departments in the Emirate. A number of topics were discussed, including the four organisations’ water reuse plant.

In his welcome address, Professor Dr Amr Abdel Hamid, Director of Sharjah Research Academy, hailed the Academy and the University of Sharjah’s close and fruitful cooperation on all applied research and development projects. He underlined the importance of accelerating the implementation of the outcomes of studies and research papers that aim to serve the community.

“This can best be done by promoting synergy between universities and government organisations to ensure that theory and conceptual frameworks are applied appropriately on the ground,” he said.

Professor Hamid Al Naimiy, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah, underscored the importance of holding such workshops to discuss and resolve issues of concern to the community with a view to improving the environmental, social and health conditions of all community members.

During the workshop, Professor Mufid Al Samarai, Senior Advisor at the Sharjah Research Academy, gave a brief overview of the Academy and its role in wastewater management research.

Engineer Essam Al Mulla, Director of the Water Department at SEWA, pointed out that SEWA is using the latest aquifer storage and recovery methods to develop and store fresh water in the Emirate.

As members of the joint project’s research team, Professor Abdallah Shanableh, Director of the Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering at the University of Sharjah, Dr Shorjo Bhattacharjee, Senior Researcher at the Academy, and Gurvan Gilles Dersel, General Manager of QATRA, presented their latest research findings and future outlook.

Engineer Zahra Yusuf from Sharjah Directorate of Public Works discussed the role that religion and government departments play in regulating the use of treated wastewater. Ariel Edwards of QATRA provided a summary of the panel discussions.

In the wrap-up, Professor Mufid Al Samarai re-emphasised the need to create a timetable for each organisation’s steps and tasks and the follow-up actions required to ensure the implementation of the recommendations discussed.