A rehabilitation that became urgent.
Located in the Al Rayyan region, west of Doha, the Al Karaana lagoons cover more than 4 km² and are facing major environmental problems.
Pollution of industrial origin.
The reason for this is the nearby wastewater treatment plant, which discharges every day no less than 200,000 m3 of treated wastewater into the fragile biotope. In addition, 100,000 m3 of domestic and industrial wastewater is discharged by trucks. Over the years, these discharges have resulted in soil contamination, odors and environmental pollution.
The ecological importance of the site.
Water and biodiversity reserves are extremely rare in Qatar and Al Karaana is one of the few protected wetlands and animal reserves in the country.
The client, the Qatar Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, in search of viable solutions, had for a time considered covering the lagoons and closing the area. However, our ecological survey revealed that the lagoon area was still very much alive:
- Approximately 55 avian species were identified, including 2 "vulnerable" and 4 "near-threatened" species according to the 2015 Red List of Threatened Species published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- 4 species of mammals have been identified in adjacent areas
- 2 species of reptiles, one of which is listed as "vulnerable"
- Several species of fish introduced into the lagoons by birds
Following the results, it was decided to revalue and rehabilitate the lagoons, creating important animal colonies during the summer period, when fresh water is scarce.
