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Dr. Mushtaque Ahmed is the Director of the Center for Environmental Studies and Research (CESAR) and Associate Professor of the Department of Soils, Water, and Agricultural Engineering, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) of Oman. He joined SQU in 1996. He obtained a PhD in Water Resources (major) and Soil Physics (minor) from Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa in 1988 and a MS in Civil Engineering from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu in 1984. He is a corporate member of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, and a member of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences and the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society. Before joining SQU he worked for CSIRO in Australia and the NSW state government.
Soil and groundwater salinity has emerged as the most significant agricultural problem facing the Sultanate of Oman. Scant rainfall, coupled with high temperature, is always conducive to the accumulation of salts in soils. These conditions are predominant in Oman. Secondary soil salinity has increased at a very rapid rate due to the persistent use of saline groundwater, which, over time, has become more concentrated due to increased pumping by farmers in the Batinah region – the country’s most important agricultural area.
Low-Cost Methods to Treat Greywater: A Case Study from Oman
Oman is an arid country where the pressure on freshwater reserves is as severe as that of any other arid or semi-arid country in the world. Increasing water availability by treating and reusing wastewater, particularly for irrigation, is a government policy in Oman. Identification of alternative sources of water and development of appropriate technology to harness them in order to reduce pressure on freshwater reserves and production capacity in Oman is a priority.
