Abu Dhabi: The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, a university focused on sustainable energy and technology, announced it has launched an environmental regional observatory, which offers information for monitoring coastal processes in the UAE and the region.
The environmental data portal can be found on www.earth.masdar.ac.ae/ and offers information on the state of the Arabian Gulf, including sea currents, temperature, salinity, and other seawater quality parameters related to oil spills and red tides.
“Being able to accurately monitor the environment of the UAE and wider region is necessary for effective natural resource management and preservation. The information this tool provides will allow tracking of environmental changes in the region in real-time,” said Dr Behjat Al Yousuf, interim provost at Masdar Institute.
Users of the website can obtain information including forecasts for the Arabian Gulf for the next five days with hourly updates. The portal is publicly accessible but registered users will have access to advanced functions.
The portal was developed by a team led by Dr Marouane Temimi, associate professor of water and environmental engineering programme, who said that the portal will help government agencies, oil companies, ports, and other users interested in monitoring the region’s environment.
