ASSESSING THE IMPACTS OF SEA LEVEL RISE ON THE COASTAL AREAS OF QATAR

Abstract

Sea level rise (SLR) impacts on coastal areas have been increasing researchers’ efforts of trying to estimate their extents and quantify the economic losses resulting from these impacts, as SLR could result in many devastating consequences both on the economic and social compositions of coastal zones. In order to understand the effects of SLR on these areas, a systematic methodology had to be engineered and developed to integrate huge amounts of spatial data into a single platform and then analyze the compositions of these zones either by identifying the value of land and assets that lay within these zones or by understanding the socioeconomic processes and relations with other regions, to better understand the cascading effect that would lead into having disruptions on both the regional and national spreads, on multiple economic, industrial and social levels. To achieve that, this thesis mapped and analyzed sea level rise on the coastal areas of Qatar, by facilitating land use data and a Digital elevation model through a GIS-based approach, which was developed to accommodate the expected sea level increase under the potential scenarios of 1m, 2m and 3m, highlighting majorly impacted utilities, residential, commercial and industrial land plots that lay along the coastal areas of Qatar, especially in Al Wakra and Doha municipalities, risking critical infrastructure assets and networks to being vulnerable to SLR induced impacts due to their existence within the SLR inundated areas.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Science and Engineering