The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) today highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in developing its processes through compiling and analyzing highly accurate real-time data at a media briefing at the Ministry’s headquarters in Dubai.
Headlined by His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Engineer Aisha Al Abdooli, Director of the Green Development Department at MOCCAE, the briefing introduced attendees to three prototypes created at the Ministry’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (AI Lab), launched in collaboration with Khalifa University of Science and Technology and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Engineer Aisha Al Abdooli said: “In early September 2018 in line with the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, the Ministry launched its AI Lab that has devised three key AI tools to date. The first is a real-time solar map for the UAE and solar technology simulator to identify concentrated solar energy locations that can serve as ideal installation sites for solar panels. Decision makers can use this information to maximize the efficiency of solar power plants.”
Speaking on the second AI tool, Engineer Al Abdooli said: “The AI Lab has also developed a real-time operational environmental monitoring and forecasting system. Relying on satellite data and AI, the system monitors and predicts air quality across the country, and displays instant readings and calculated forecasts of the air quality index (AQI). In addition, it generates maps that illustrate current and projected concentrations of the primary gas pollutants in the atmosphere – carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and ground ozone – as well as PM10-sized suspended particulate matter (SPM) for up to three days in advance and PM2.5-sized SPM for up to five days in advance.”
She added that the lab’s third AI tool is a marine environment monitoring system that utilizes data generated by the satellites of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) to produce a daily assessment of water quality in the UAE. The system also tracks ocean currents and marine pollution, such as oil leaks and harmful algal bloom events, and provides information to help optimize tanker routes in the GCC region.