Memorandum

To: Naqaa Abbas

From: Team 1 (H. Soliman, A. Al-Kuwari, A. Haque, G. Al-Ghanem, A.Aldeakira)
Subject: Potential Engineering Problems for Project 1
Date: 2 March 2024

This memo highlights four main problems for the problem statement: P3HT degradation of solar cells, public health
against type 2 diabetes, food security, and challenges related to Qatar's groundwater. The team has identified these
issues based on the criteria outlined in the decision matrix, inspired by the evaluation criteria of Project 1.
Currently, the team is assessing these four problems to determine the most suitable one for the problem statement.

Option A: P3HT degradation of solar cells

Qatar is planning on producing 20% of its energy from solar cells by 2030. Considering how 70% of Qatar’s energy
is from cooling towers, this task requires the production of a lot of energy. P3HT and PCBM solar cells are viable
options that can be used to meet this goal. There have been a lot of advances that have been made in improving the
efficiency of solar cells in the last decade. By utilizing the latest technologies in solar cells, we can make it more
likely to achieve the 20% solar energy goal. It is more expensive to use solar energy when compared to natural gas.
Reducing the cost of solar energy is essential for the future of Qatar. Renewable energy ensures that we can create a
better future, which is one of the goals of Qatar’s national vision.

Option B: Public health against type 2 diabetes

One prevalent concern in Qatar’s healthcare is Diabetes Mellitus (DM) where 90% of the cases are type 2
diabetes (T2DM). By 2050, national T2DM health spending may make up to 32% of Qatar’s overall
health spending rendering it a high burden and leading to premature loss of workforce, early mortality and
an overall reduced quality of life. The causes of this disease stem from both genetic and lifestyle factors
with obesity being one of the main drivers. Furthermore, risk factors would include lack of physical
activity, unhealthy dietary habits and high triglyceride levels. As a result of this public health challenge,
Qatar’s national vision of 2030 highlights the crucial need to address T2DM through high-quality case
management, treatment and promotion of behavioural changes through educational programmes.

Option C: Food Security

Given around 90% of Qatar’s food is imported, the air and sea blockade of 2017 proved to have disrupted
the country’s food supply chain. The arid climate coupled with soil infertility and scarcity of freshwater
bodies are factors which limit the country from growing crops especially water-intensive crops such as
wheat. Aiming to enhance the agricultural sector, Qatar has implemented a Food Security Strategy. This
initiative focuses on drip irrigation, modern farming equipment and strategies to increase productivity and
efficiency. In addition, by launching public and private initiatives, small farmers can be supported in
supplying and distributing their agricultural products to local markets.

Option D: Qatar’s Groundwater Challenges

Qatar is one of several countries which suffer from low accessibility of water due to its desert environment. Other
than well water, Qatar does not have many options for water extraction from land. According to a study in HBKU
by Dr. Jenny Lawler (2), the amount of groundwater pumped each year is rapidly increasing, and as a result this
makes sea water mix with the fresh groundwater to restore the lost groundwater. This issue represents a significant
 aspect of Qatar’s National Vision for 2030. Qatar is known as a peninsula which is surrounded by land and sea,
leading to sea water being easily accessible. Therefore, desalination and purification of sea water could be proposed
as a solution to this issue.

Decision Matrix

Human Social Economic Environmental Total

benefit impact impact impact
Polymer solar cells: 20 18 5 20 63
P3HT: PCBM and
beyond

Public health against 25 15 4 4 48

type 2 diabetes

Qatar’s Groundwater 18 20 7 10 55
Challenges
Food 24 5 10 12 51
security

- Problems were assigned a number between 1 and 25, with 25 denoting the most important and 1 the least.
- The decision matrix's cells were filled in using the team's overall ratings.

Human Benefit: evaluates how directly solving the issue has improved people's quality of life.

Social Impact: Assesses how addressing the issue strengthens and modifies the social network.

Economic Impact: Examines how the issue may affect the stability and growth of Qatar's economy.

Environmental Impact: evaluates how solving the issue will benefit the nearby ecology and natural resources.
Works Cited:
Varghese, Joseph. “Solar Energy to Meet 20% of Qatar’s Energy Demand by 2030.” Gulf Times, 8 July 2016,

www.gulf-times.com/story/501761/solar-energy-to-meet-20-of-qatars-energy-demand-by-2030. Accessed 2 Mar. 2024.

‌District Cooling Workshop towards Cooperative District Cooling Society. 2014.

2- Lawler, Jenny, “World Water Day: Qatar’s Groundwater Challenges”, HBKU, 22 March, 2022
https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/news/QEERI-SUST-WWDQGC

Alareeki, A., Awad, S. F., Critchley, J. A., El-Nahas, K. G., Al-Hamaq, A. O., Alyafei, S. A., J. Al-Thani, M. H., &
Abu-Raddad, L. J. (2023, June 19). Epidemiological impact of public health interventions against diabetes in Qatar:
mathematical modeling analyses. PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1167807

Forecasting the burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Qatar to 2050: A novel modeling approach - PubMed. (2018, March
1). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2017.11.015

Wyatt, K., Family, D., & Ayoub, T. (2022, September 4). Where Does Our Food Come From? An Insight Into Qatar’s Food
Industry - Doha Family Magazine. Doha Family Magazine.
https://dohafamily.com/where-does-our-food-come-from-an-insight-into-qatars-food-industry/

Towards sustainable food production systems in Qatar: Assessment of the viability of aquaponics. (2020, January 29).
Towards Sustainable Food Production Systems in Qatar: Assessment of the Viability of Aquaponics - ScienceDirect.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100349

Amhamed, A., Genidi, N., Abotaleb, A., Sodiq, A., Abdullatif, Y., Hushari, M., & Al-Kuwari, M. (2023, August 16). Food
security strategy to enhance food self-sufficiency and overcome international food supply chain crisis: the state of Qatar as
a case study - Green Technology, Resilience, and Sustainability. SpringerLink. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44173-023-00012-8