Students of Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar (WCM-Q) recently received funding for their research cataloguing the biodiversity of lagoons from a wastewater treatment plant.
The rehabilitation of Al Karaana Lagoon by Public Works Authority Ashghal began in 2017, augmented by a domestic wastewater treatment plant in the vicinity. Since then, the area – approximately 60-km southwest of Doha off Salwa Road – has become a haven for wildlife and is particularly rich in birdlife.
Mentored by Associate Professor Dr Kuei-Chiu Chen, the WCM-Q students will now document the flora and fauna found in the area and compare the statistics to those from 2015 and 2017, before the water was cleaned.
Wastewater Treatment
The pre-medical students visited the site during their winter break to see how the wastewater was treated and pumped into the lagoons. They were recently awarded a grant from the WCM-Q Student Research Mentorship Program to help them complete the study.
Ayaterahman Draidia, one of the students taking part in the study, said she has been looking forward to their trip to the treatment plant for a long time. She said that it definitely is a great way to contextualise their research into the process, by seeing with their own eyes.
We first got briefed on the overarching waste decontamination process and the many steps required as the engineers explained how the entire plant functioned.
They were then given a tour of the entire plant, where they had a closer look at all the different tanks and generators involved.
We were taken through the entire process, following the waste as it arrived at the plant until the last stage – where we were shocked to see the final product looked as clear as drinking water.
Observing Changes in Biodiversity
The main purpose of the study, according to Ayaterahman, is to observe any changes in the biodiversity of Al Karaana Lagoon after its environmental rehabilitation. This they will do by collecting data on various organisms, starting with birds. As a lifelong resident of Qatar, she said she was surprised by how little she knew about the country’s bird population and how greatly she had underestimated its diversity.
Ayaterahman said she hoped the rehabilitation of the Al Karaana Lagoon, and the work on monitoring any changes on biodiversity, will soon see it opened up to the public as an educational and recreational area.
We expect that the success of the lagoon as a constructed wetland encourages such wetlands to be considered more often as viable methods of maintaining biodiversity.
The cataloguing of the species at Al Karaana Lagoon will take place during daytime and nighttime and will demonstrate the importance of lagoons for migratory birds.
Valuable Learning Experience
When Ashghal conducted a study in September 2015, they found 48 bird species associated with the site, before the water was treated to such high standards to remove all contaminants. Dr Chen said it would be very interesting to see the results from the current study.
Qatar is obviously a dry, desert country with no standing freshwater but it is on the flight path of thousands of migratory birds, says Dr Chen. It will be interesting to see how many species have started taking advantage of the lagoons as a resting point.
From an educational point of view, the study will be an invaluable educational tool, introducing students to the concept for research and allowing them to take responsibility for it.
I will be there to provide mentorship, but we really want them to take ownership of this research. As qualified doctors, WCM-Q expects them to conduct their own medical research and to embrace the ideas of lifelong learning and knowledge creation, and this is their first step towards that goal.
For updates and more information about the research programme at WCM-Q, visit their website at qatar-weill.cornell.edu.
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