EAGE SQU Student Chapter Earns Accolades
Panorama
Music: An Tool for Stress Management
Mind Over Matter
Art Exhibition Reflects Oman’s History
News Update
Fire safety Measures in
Residential Buildings
Department of Public
Relations and Information
Sultan Qaboos University
Issue 319
View Point
Teaching as a Skill
Mohamed Salem Al Ghailani
Editorial Supervision
Santhosh Muthalath
Senior Editor
Sara Al Gheilani
Nasebah Al Muharrami
Translation
Ahlam Al Wahaibi
Design & Layout
Photography Dept., CET
Photography
Salim Al Sudairi
Circulation
SQU-info
With the start of the new academic year, it is time for faculty to get back
into the classroom. At a research-intensive university, time is a big part
of the challenge for teachers who divide their time between teaching
and research. Having students with the right attitude is another challenge. A portion of students will be ready to soak up any new knowledge, whereas others will be vastly underprepared for college-level science. Some students are perpetually confused. Still others won’t seem
to care. A good teacher approaches the job with a philosophy that is as
elusive as it is obvious: Your job is to teach the students you have, not
the students you might want. You need to focus on the students who
are educable and open to learning keeping in mind that it might not be
obvious at first who those students are.
There is a myth that one individual cannot be an excellent researcher
and a devoted teacher. In fact, there are many people who excel in both.
Those people approach teaching as a scholarly challenge. They make
observations and ask colleagues how they have approached teaching
challenges. They experiment in the classroom. If they try something and
it doesn’t work, they approach it differently the next time. Ask yourself:
who are my students and what do they need to know? To fail to address
those questions is to create a situation where students are uninterested
and unfocused.
The story of a robotics professor is relevant here. He set out one day to
show his class how his robot worked. But that day, it didn’t. Frustrated
and embarrassed, the professor worked the problem through, thinking
out loud, and after about half an hour, the robot was working again. In
the course evaluations, many students wrote that the best thing in the
course was the day the robot didn’t work. Until then, all the work and
troubleshooting he had done to get the robot working was invisible to
the students. This near failure gave his students a glimpse of what his
work was really like.
@SQU-info
Horizon invites contributions from SQU members of staff and faculty. Contributions in the form of
articles, news, travelogues, stories of unique and interesting experiences, encounters, etc., are welcome. Contributions may be edited for the sake of clarity and length. Please send your contributions
to horizon@squ.edu.om preferably, as MSWord attachments. Authors will be suitably credited.
The views and opinions expressed in the articles published in this newsletter are those of the authors
and are not to be construed as the official views of the publication. Horizon is published three times a
month by the Department of Public Relations and Information, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 50,
P.C. 123, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
Phone: +968 24141045
E-mail: horizon@squ.edu.om
30 September 2015 P2
Fax: +968 24413 391
Website: www.squ.edu.om
News Update
Talk Sheds Light on the Role
of the Shura Council
Sultan Qaboos University, represented by the College of Law recently organized a lecture on the legislative role of the Shura Council of Oman
delivered by HE Sheikh Khalid bin Hilal Al Ma’awali, Chairman of the
Shura Council, at the lecture hall of the College of Law. This lecture is an
introductory lesson on the occasion of the beginning of the academic year
2015-2016 organized by the College of Law at SQU. In his lecture, Khalid
bin Hilal Al Ma’awali explained how the Shura Council worked hard
during the seventh period to exercise the new powers provided to the
Council by Royal Decree No. 99/2011 and the Councils’ efforts to play the
actual role as a parliamentary institution dealing with legislation and supervision, in parallel with the powers stipulated by the Basic Law of the
State and enhance the confidence of the community in the Shura Council.
The Chairman spoke on the legislative role of the Shura Council in terms
of the laws of the government projects referred to the Council and agreements forwarded by the Government projects to the Council. “The Shura
Council’s powers include reviewing legislation drafted by government
ministries and passing them on to the State Council with recommendations, as well as submitting proposals for social and economic legislation.
The Council also provide feedback on government initiatives, propose
development projects, and participate in raising citizens’ awareness of
the country’s development goals and government efforts in that regard”,
he said.
SQUH Performs “Valve
within Valve” Surgery
A medical team at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) managed
to plant a valve inside a valve in the Aorta and Mitral Valves through a
catheter. For the surgery, a small opening, less than 5 cm, was made at the
chest of a pregnant woman. The cardiac surgery team was led by Dr. Hilal
bin Ali Al- Sabti, CEO of the Oman Medical Specialty Board and senior
consultant cardiothoracic surgery at SQUH. He was assisted by Dr. Adel
bin Hashim Al- Kindi, Dr. Tariq Alam Eddin, Dr. Hatim bin Ali Al- Lawati,
Dr. Nasser bin Abdullah al- Kimani and Dr. Suresh Chingodi. During the
three-hour long surgery, the team managed to plant two new valves and
end the suffering of the patient. The operation was very sophisticated as it
is to plant a valve inside a valve through a catheter surgically. The Aorta
and Mitral vales of the patient, who is now pregnant, has been damaged
eight years before the surgery. This achievement is added to the previous
achievements made by SQUH since its inception.
Art Exhibition Reflects
Oman’s History
As many as 86 works of arts including different types of paintings
have been put on display at the second exhibition of Dr. Salman bin
Amer Al Hajri, organized by Deanship of Student Affairs at Sultan
Qaboos University. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was
held under the patronage of HE Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed AlSarmi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education.
The exhibition included five national works representing the history
and developmental of the Sultanate, 11 abstract paintings, 2 works
following realistic style. As many as 47 works representing iPad art
and phone art have been done on coated paper. As some of the creative works reflected historical and cultural aspects of the Sultanate,
others documented the trips of the artist and his impressions about
humans, life and places.
Dr. Salman bin Amer Al Hajri is an artist, graphic designer and researcher in the field of visual arts. He is an Assistant Professor in
Graphic Design, at the Department of Art Education, College of
Education at Sultan Qaboos University. In 2014, he had won bronze
medal for designing at the world’s largest design competition held
in Italy. His work is characterized by diversity of fine arts trends as
abstract, expressive, and contemporary digital arts.
Bangladesh NDC
Team Visits SQU
H.E. Dr. Ali bin Saud Al Bimani, the Vice Chancellor of Sultan Qaboos
University, recently received in his office, a delegation from National
Defense College (NDC), Bangladesh , headed by Brig Gen Md Anisuzzaman Bhuiyan, College Secretary. The Vice Chancellor had a discussion with the delegation on the academic programs and student
pattern at Sultan Qaboos University. The two sides reviewed the defense and security studies programs offered by the two institutions.
National Defense College is the premier national institute of excellence on security, strategy and development studies in Bangladesh.
The college provides an in-depth look into strategic issues and constituents of national security of Bangladesh. The college endeavors to
formulate befitting academic curricula for the potential policy planners, leaders and thinkers from home and abroad.
P3 30 September 2015
Insight
Fire safety Measures in
Residential Buildings
By: Saleh N.J. Al-Saadi, Ph.D.
Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering
College of Engineering
Life safety in buildings has been recognized to be a high priority for
many organizations such as the government and the private sectors
to protect human life, property, surrounding environment and business operation. For cost effectiveness, the objectives are considered
early in the design process when the building is still a concept. The
level of life safety depends on different prioritized parameters that
are ranked by clients/owners. Fire is perhaps the most threatening
factor for human life. Despite the precautions that humans take, fires
still occur in all types of buildings such as residential, or high populated (risk) buildings (i.e., schools, jails and high-rise buildings). The
civil defense has released new statistics on fires in Oman in a press
conference to announce the Oman Exhibition on Fire, Safety and Security and Cyber Security Conference as recently reported by Times
of Oman. The number of fires in buildings has increased by 183 cases
to reach 1763 incidents compared to last year statistics. High number
of fire incidents has occurred in residential buildings this year.
In residential buildings, fires are generally attributed to overloaded
or poor electrical wiring system, smoking (i.e., cigarette butts or
Bakhour), gas leaks, children playing, ironing, cooking, heaters, and
fireworks. In coexistence of fire fuel and oxygen, many serious fire
incidents start from a small ignition such as a cigarette, or an electrical shock. The availability of these three elements (i.e., fire fuel,
oxygen and heat) are called fire triangle. Elimination of one element
from the fire triangle will smother the fire. Fire should be controlled
at the source before it spreads throughout the building.
Considerations for fire protection start at the architectural and engineering design phases of buildings. Architectural systems can be designed to provide egress, fire barrier, fire zoning and compartments,
and fire-proofing structure. Examples of mechanical systems that aid
in controlling fires include sprinkler, standpipes and hose systems,
smoke control systems via ventilation systems. At early stage of fires,
electrical systems such as smoke, heat, and fire detectors, and warning systems are vital for occupants to take action such as controlling
the fire at its inception stage or escape the fire. To protect human’s
life in existing residential buildings, it is important to provide and
maintain detection systems as well as warning fire alarm systems.
Portable fire extinguishers should be available and maintained in
any house in an accessible location. Residents should be trained to
use and operate fire extinguishers. In case of fires, residents should
30 September 2015 P4
close windows and doors to stop the fire from spreading within or
out of the fire zone before vacating the house. This action will also
help to make sure that no one is left behind. The escape route should
be clear from obstruction and an emergency stairway leading directly to outside should be available. In case no emergency stairway is
available, exterior windows at above ground floors should be free
of security barriers. These obstruction barriers could be the major
obstacles for evacuation in case of fire. Human behavior plays a big
role when fire happens. Studies in several countries indicated that
family members tend to return back and re-enter a burning building
after initially escaping it. These studies also revealed that victims
tend to walk through smoke when making their escape, and those in
residential fires try to extinguish them. Interior finishes, flooring and
furniture are the major fuel of fires in residential buildings. These
fire load should not be placed in the escape route. Adequate lighting
should be provided and emergency lights are of high importance
when fire occurs. The domestic gas cylinders are the most hazardous item in houses and must be kept in safe places where they can
be easily isolated in fire incident. Electrical burnout can be avoided
if the use of power extension cords are minimized or prohibited as
permanent connections to operate electrical appliances. A sufficient
number of electrical wall outlets should be provided and located in
a clear and accessible location for users.
Fire safety in buildings is mandatory and regulated by laws in developed countries. Local and international standard should always
be used when designing buildings to maintain high level of safety
standard. While the legislation is active for commercial buildings
and administered by the civil defense in Oman, the residential sector
lacks this privilege. The fire safety measures should be implemented
in new residential buildings and inspected by the local safety authority before issuing a final occupancy permit. Designers should
be requested to consider fire safety strategies at the design stage.
They should make the client aware of the importance of fire safety
to protect human life and property. When planning for new cities
and neighborhoods, town planners should consider access for firefighting teams and their vehicle and equipment to freely maneuver
and effectively control fires. The awareness about fire safety should
be conducted to building occupants through educational and training programs by the local authority. This will help the building occupants to take educated and proper decision during the fire incident.
Mind Over Matter
Music A Tool for
Stress Management
By: Mrs. Kannekanti Saraswathi
Lecturer
Community &Mental Health Department
College of Nursing
Stress is defined as a state of mental
strain or tension resulting from advery demanding circumstancis inevitable in our
Since ages we have
live with stress.
that
certain
stress is needus alert and
protects
our
gers and threats
But if stress levels
than the tolerance
al, it may directly or
individual’s health.
or emotional
verse
or
es.
Stress
daily
life.
learned
to
Experts say
amount
of
ed to keep
healthy. Stress
body from danwith quick actions.
are high, more
level of individuindirectly effects
Signs of stress are many- from simple to complex. To list a
few, memory problems, inability to concentrate, pessimistic
approach or thoughts, constant worrying, moodiness, short
temper, agitation, inability to relax, sense of loneliness and
isolation, general unhappiness, aches and pains, increased
frequency of urination, changes in blood glucose, chest
pain, rapid heartbeat, frequent colds, eating more or less,
sleeping too much or too little, using alcohol, cigarettes, or
drugs to relax an nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing).
Stress is one of the predisposing factors for many major
diseases like Heart diseases, Hypertension, Diabetes, Gastro intestinal problems and may lead to major psychiatric
problems. There are many techniques to reduce stress. Currently people use different techniques like, reading a favorite book, taking long walks, practicing yoga, meditation,
painting, laughing therapy and listening to music watching
movies etc.
Music and human beings are closely connected with each
other. Listening to music does wonders to alleviate stress.
Research proved that a variety of music therapies are effective for relaxation and to manage stress. In addition,
healthcare professionals and caregivers are using Music
therapy to decrease pain, anxiety, agitation and depression
and to stabilize heart and respiratory rate, blood pressure,
with their clients. It is also reported in some studies that
students’ grades have increased in their examinations with
continuous exposure to soft music during their study and
examination time.
Music therapy is one of the alternative and complimentary
therapies to reduce the stress in human beings. This therapy
utilizes music, melody, harmony and nature sounds to address physical, emotional, cognitive ant social stress of individuals across ages.
Whenever proper sounds are experienced the entire human energetic system is extremely influenced by sounds,
the physical and cognitive centers respond ant get sense of
relaxation specifically to certain tones and frequencies. Music has been used for hundreds of years to treat illnesses
and restore harmony between mind and body. But recently,
scientific studies have attempted to measure the potential
benefits of music. They have found that:
Music forms and structure can bring order and security to
disabled and distressed children. It encourages coordination and communication, so improves their quality of life.
Listening to music on headphones reduces stress and anxiety in hospital patients before and after surgery. Music can
help reduce both the sensation and distress of both chronic
pain and postoperative pain. Listening to music can relieve
depression and increase self-esteem ratings in elderly people. Making music can reduce burnout and improve mood
among nursing students. Music therapy significantly reduces emotional distress and boosts quality of life among
adult cancer patients. There is no specific music designed
for stress relief and every individual has his /her own
choice of music. The following guidelines will help us to
select right kind of music and to maximize the effectiveness
of Music.
To wash away stress, try taking a 20-minute “sound bath.”
Put some relaxing music on your stereo, and then lie in a
comfortable position on a couch or on the floor near the
speakers. For a deeper experience, you can wear headphones to focus your attention and to avoid distraction.
Choose music with a slow rhythm - slower than the natural
heart beat which is about 72 beats per minute. Music that
has repeating or cyclical pattern is found to be effective in
most people. As the music plays, allow it to wash over you,
rinsing off the stress from the day. Focus on your breathing,
letting it deepen, slow and become regular. Concentrate on
the silence between the notes in the music; this keeps you
from analyzing the music and makes relaxation more complete. If you need stimulation after a day of work, go for a
faster music rather than slow calming music.
When going gets tough, go for a music you are familiar with
- such as a childhood favorite or favorite oldies. Familiarity
often breeds calmness. Take walks with your favorite music
playing on the Walkman. Inhale and exhale in tune with the
music. Let the music takes you. This is a great stress reliever
by combining exercise (brisk walk), imagery and music.
Listening to the sounds of nature, such as ocean waves or
the calm of a deep forest, can reduce stress. Try taking a
15- to 20-minute walk if you’re near the seashore or a quiet
patch of woods. If not, you can buy tapes of these sounds in
many music stores.
Finally, listening to music can help the brain by improving
learning and memory skills, always useful when we’re under stress. Therefore I advise everyone to listen to their favorite music whenever possible. Encourage people to listen
to some kind of music while performing their daily activities. This keeps us fresh and energetic ultimately reduces
stress if we have.
P5 30 September 2015
News Round Up
Journal Indexed in Scopus
The “International Journal
of Nutrition, Pharmacology, Neurological Diseases”
(IJNPND) edited by Dr. Mohamed Essa, Associate Professor in the Department of
Food Science & Nutrition of
the College of Agricultural
& Marine Sciences at Sultan
Qaboos University, and supported by scientists from
Oman and different parts of
the world, has been included into the Scopus database
of Elsevier on May 25, 2015.
This journal is published by
Wolters Kluwer Health, USA.
Scopus is the world’s largest
abstract and citation database
of peer-reviewed literature: scientific journals, books and conference proceedings. The inclusion of IJNPND is the outcome of hard work by the
journal’s editorial board which successfully underwent very lengthy and
stringent quality control chain executed by Elsevier. Dr. Essa is the Editor
in Chief of the journal who launched the publication five years ago with
support from a number of reputed researchers from within and outside
the Sultanate.
IJNPND is an international, open access, peer reviewed journal which
covers all fields related to nutrition, pharmacology, neurological diseases
which is published quarterly. The journal has three main sections: nutrition, pharmacology and neurological diseases.
Commenting on this achievement, Dr. Mohamed Essa said: “IJNPND
made this achievement within five years after launching the publication
which is really a short period in the case of a scientific journal. “Every
year, the number of articles submitted to us keep increasing since the publication was launched. Annually, IJNPND receives a minimum of 120 to
135 articles for publication. The acceptance rate is an average of 33% since
the first year. The editorial board members are experts from Oman and
abroad”, he added. Further he welcomed the authors from Oman to submit articles for the publication in IJNPND. The journal is made available
online www.ijnpnd.com
Young Explorer
2015 Concludes
Sultan Qaboos University recently hosted the closing ceremony of the
summer program “Young Explorer 2015” which was related to the
Oman University project and held during the period from 25 of July to
20 of August. As many as 120 of outstanding students in mathematics at
grade nine in the public schools participated in this program held at SQU.
The program was aimed at providing a good learning environment
that helps to improve the students’ academic knowledge in diverse
disciplines and refine their practical and working skills. In addition
to the morning academic programs such as lessons in English language, IT and mathematics, the program included evening programs
which included several applied scientific activities, cultural, recreational and sports events and trips. A team of instructors and qualified
specialists conducted the programs and supervising the activities.
At the closing ceremony, H.E. Dr. Hamoud bin Khalfan Al Harthy,
the Undersecretary at the Ministry of Education for Education and
Curricula, distributed certificates to the students who participated in
the Young Explorer program in the presence of Prof. Amer bin Ali Al
Rawas, SQU Deputy Vice Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies & Research. H.E. Dr. Al Harthy said that the Young Explorer program contributed to the development of learning, practical and communication
skills and self-confidence of the school students. “It was an opportunity for the students to acquire more knowledge and hone their skills
in Math, English and IT. We hope to continue this kind of programs
in future”, he noted. In his speech, Rashid bin Hamad Al Kiyumi, the
director of the Young Explorer program at the university said that the
organizers wanted this program to be distinct in content and purpose.
SQU Hosts Dinner in Honor of New Staff
The Administration of Sultan Qaboos University organized a dinner banquet in honour of the newly joined academic, administrative and technical staff of the university. The party was held near
SQU tower under the patronage of HE Dr. Ali bin Saud Al Bimani,
the Vice Chancellor of SQU.
Delivering a speech on the occasion, Dr. Hamed bin Sulaiman Al
Salmy, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Administrative & Financial Affairs, said that as SQU receives the new employees in the 20152016 academic year, it realizes the significance of the diverse experiences of its cadres and the intermixture of their ideas, which
consequently enables it to properly invest them in order to best
serve its objectives of being on top in terms of excellence and innovation. “Your work at SQU will definitely be of a great benefit
and the institution will leave no stone unturned to provide you
with all of what you may need to help you do your outmost best
in your work. Since your arrival to this bountiful country, SQU has
spared no effort to make you feel comfortable. This is because your
30 September 2015 P6
comfort means a lot to the university and to the students who are
going to work hard in order to benefit from your extensive experiences. Your joining at this time means a reaffirmation made by the
university to attract proficient cadres to contribute to the achievement of the university’s goals and its future plans”, the Deputy
Vice Chancellor observed.
In his address, Mohamed Salem Al Ghailani, Director of the Department of Public Relations and Information, said that his department had prepared a special program to receive the new staff
which included a number of programs such as a visit to the Museum of Omani Royal Armed Forces in Muscat governorate, and
a tour in the governorate acquaint them with trading and touristic
sectors, as well as a voyage trip along the coast of the governorate.
He invited the new staff to participate in the trips organized by the
department outside the Sultanate and the local visits across the
Sultanate to be aware of the aspects of civilization and enjoy the
environment and diverse weather conditions of our governorates.
Panorama
EAGE SQU
Student Chapter
Earns Accolades
Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) Student Chapter is one of the
chapters that recently joined the EAGE (European Association
of Geoscientists & Engineers). However, the activities of the
chapter with the EAGE has longer history, which started when
seven SQU students along with their supervisor participated
in the first EAGE Forum for Students and Young Professionals
held in Abu Dhabi, 2012. The idea of establishing the chapter
was discussed during that forum. Two years later, SQU hosted
the Second EAGE forum for Students and Young Professionals
(7-9 December 2014), after which, the SQU chapter was officially launched and started its own activities. During those two
years, SQU was hosting the EAGE student lecture tours (SLT)
that involved industry and academic pioneers from all over the
world. Hosting and organizing the second EAGE forum provided a great opportunity for SQU geoscience students to interact with young professionals and with the keynote speakers
from the oil and gas industry. It also improved the students’
skills in organizing such important event and to present their
research work through oral and poster presentations.
The vision behind starting the chapter is to develop awareness of the opportunities in geoscience and related disciplines
to university students and to the Omani community in general. It also aims at improving students’ skills in different environments, which cannot be learned in university classrooms.
The chapter has provided a platform for geoscientists to meet,
exchange ideas, and conducts many activities in order to accomplish its goals and even expanded further to reach the
non-academic community in Oman. These activities were done
through different campaigns in the malls to increase the awareness of the community about geosciences, visits to elementary
and high schools, geologic field trips to school students, and
workshops to school teachers and students at the university
campus.
Despite the short period of time since the official birth of the
SQU chapter, it managed to be selected as the second best chapter among the EAGE chapters all over the world for 2014-2015,
which was announced during the EAGE Madrid conference
(June 2015). The judges of the selection committee were im-
pressed by the SQU activities within the academic environment
and with the Omani community.
The chapter is supervised by Dr. Hesham El-Kaliouby, and led
by Marwa Al Khayari, the first female president of an EAGE
student chapter in the Middle East, who did a great job along
with the other chapter officers. Marwa Alkhayari said: “Being the first female president in the region, I am very proud
and more than happy to accomplish such achievement. We are
looking forward for the next year best chapter award and hoping to score first place”.
Dr Hesham El-Kaliouby, the faculty advisor of the SQU chapter said: “I am very proud of SQU chapter. Having the second
place among worldwide EAGE chapters is a very prestigious
achievement; however, it will motivate SQU students to do
more activities to compete next year for the first place. It is
worth mentioning that SQU is also holding the best SEG student chapter (Summit) in the Middle East for 2014-2015. I am
glad that the two EAGE student chapters, who got the first top
places are from the Middle East (Egypt and Oman), this will
motivate more Middle East chapters to run for the best chapter
award in 2016”.
EAGE: An Overview
The European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers
(EAGE) is a global professional, non-profit association for
geoscientists and engineers with around 18,000 members
worldwide. It provides a global network of commercial and
academic professionals to all members. The association is truly
multi-disciplinary and international in form and pursuits. All
members of EAGE are professionally involved in (or studying) geophysics, petroleum exploration, geology, reservoir
engineering, mining and mineral exploration, civil engineering, tunneling and environmental matters. For its members,
EAGE organises events (conferences, exhibitions, workshops);
publications (journals, books); educational programmes (short
courses, lectures); and student programmes. EAGE’s Head Office is located in the Netherlands and has a Regional Office in
Dubai (Middle East Office).
P7 30 September 2015
Straight Talk
Dr. Simon Toze
“Sustainable Use of Water is Vital”
Dr. Simon Toze is a Principal Research Scientist in the Land and Water’s Urban
Water Systems Engineering research program at the Commonwealth Scientific
and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia. A microbiologist researching water quality in urban environments, in particular managed aquifer
recharge and alternative water sources, Dr. Toze leads research in water reuse
at CSIRO. He was the main resource person for the workshop on “Recycling of
Treated Wastewater: Guidelines and Risk Assessment” organized by the Water
Research Centre at SQU and Oman Water Society a few months ago.
(WHO). Personally, I feel that Oman could better follow the
Australian guidelines which is developed on the basis of
risks associated with recycling of treated wastewater. This
can be adopted and implemented with changes made according to specific requirements of the country. However,
it is the policymakers and scientists in Oman who should
decide on the guideline to be adopted in this country. The
guidelines of WHO is very broad. However, the Australian guidelines may be more appropriate for as Oman both
countries have similar climatic conditions. The authorities in
Oman can have a close look at different guidelines in place
and select the one which is best suited for the country, considering the environmental, economic and social aspects. Of
course, some modifications will be needed. However, it is
best to take any of the guidelines and modify them rather
than starting from scratch.
Horizon: Do you have any suggestions to the policy makers and scientists in Oman who would like to know more
information on Australian guidelines on recycling of treated
wastewater?
Dr. Toze: We are happy to be involved in this process. We
would welcome Omani scientists and authorities to come
to Australia to learn more about our practices in managed
aquifer recharge and wastewater treatment. We are ready to
provide any kind of technical expertise and assistance. In
fact, many Omani water scientists completed their higher
studies in Australian institutions. More students specializing in water can come to Australia and in this way we can
continue the links already built up between the two countries. We can also benefit from Oman’s experience in water
management. We are keen to learn about Oman’s dry land
agricultural practices and irrigation systems.
Horizon: What are the potential risks associated with treated wastewater recycling in Oman?
Dr. Toze: Oman is facing water shortage and recycling can
help overcome this deficit to a great extent. For this we need
to have a set of proper guidelines in place. For example, in
the absence of proper guidelines, if something goes wrong
with water recycling, the public may lose confidence in this
technology. Hence guidelines based on risk assessment is vital. The guidelines should cover health, economic, environment and socio-cultural aspects as well. Before rushing to a
conclusion, the policy makers have to think in detail and do
proper homework.
Horizon: Could you say about your research interests?
Dr. Toze: At CSIRO, I am studying the fate and behavior of microbial pathogens
and organic chemicals in recycled urban and environmental water, in particular
managed aquifer recharge and alternative water sources; and, the influence of
groundwater micro-organisms on the biogeochemistry of aquifers.
Horizon: How would you comment on the outcome of the workshop on setting up
guidelines for water recycling in Oman?
Dr. Toze: As you said, the aim to workshop was provide those who attended it on
how to set up guidelines on recycling of treated wastewater in Oman. At present,
Oman has a set of standards in place and not specific guidelines. Standards cover
what people should do whereas guidelines say this is how you get to make those
standards. Australia has formulated its own guidelines on treated wastewater recycling. Many countries follow the standards set by the World Health Organization
30 September 2015
Horizon: As a microbiologist, what advice can you provide
to Omani authorities with regard to risks about wastewater
recycling?
Dr. Toze: As a scientist focusing on public health microbiology, I would say that more than chemicals, pathogens
from humans and animals cause more harm to people when
it comes to use of treated wastewater for various purposes.
Removal of pathogens from treated wastewater is an important area where authorities should pay attention to. Harmful microorganisms can be found at high concentrations in
stormwater and greater, as well as in sewage.
Horizon: What is your message for the people of Oman
about wastewater reuse?
Dr. Toze: Water is a precious resource; sustainable use of
water is vital for all countries. Waste water is valuable resource and waste water recycling and reuse are important
due to environmental and economic benefits. Proper practices in this area can make a major impact on water security
of any nation whether it has dry or wet environment.