Impact of Traffic on Ambient Air Quality in Al Ain City – UAE

Road traffic is considered a major source of air pollution in congested areas. The number of vehicles in Al Ain city has increased over the last seven years due to population and economic growth. The rapid growth in motor vehicles in Al Ain could contribute to an increased level of urban air pollution that may threaten human health, damage ecosystems and influence climate. No study has been conducted to assess the effects of roadway traffic on air quality in the city of Al Ain. Such study will further be useful as a baseline for future planning and development of the city. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the impact of traffic volume on the ambient air quality of Al Ain. Data of several air pollutants including PM10, SO2, NO2, CO, O3 and HCs were collected during 2007-2009, using two fixed air monitoring stations in two areas of different traffic congestion levels; one in the downtown area and the other in a residential area in Al Ain. The levels of these pollutants were compared with Abu Dhabi Air Quality Standards. Also, the relationships among these pollutants and between pollutant level and meteorological conditions were investigated. Data on traffic counts at the downtown area were collected from the RTTSRC at the UAE University. These traffic counts were used to predict the air pollutant emissions from traffic volume using Synchro and IVE models. The Box Model was then used to estimate ambient pollutant concentration using the estimated emissions. Predicted pollutant levels were then compared with the actual levels measured at the monitoring stations. The results of this study indicate that the concentration levels of most of the air pollutants were below Abu Dhabi Air Quality Standard at both stations, except for PM10 which exceeded the Abu Dhabi Air Quality Standard many times. It was also found that there are statistically significant variations in pollutants level between the residential and the downtown area. The higher pollutants levels at the downtown area are attributed to the influence of road traffic volume and other population-related activities. Moreover, the Al Ain residential area had better air quality than Al Ain downtown area according to the air quality index. It was also found that temperature correlates well with some air pollutants. This study showed that the traffic in the downtown of Al Ain contributes in the range of 15% to 35% of CO, with an average of 25%. The traffic also contributes in the range of 36% to 69% of NOx, with an average of 57% and it contributes only in the range of 0.4% to 0.8% of PM10, with an average of 0.5% levels. The low contribution of traffic to pollutant level (as is the case for CO and PM10) indicates that other sources including commercial activities or open burning in nearby farms play a major role in determining the ambient concentration of these pollutants in the downtown of Al Ain. Finally, this study indicated the importance to develop a proactive traffic management mitigation measures for Al Ain downtown to manage traffic congestions and hence improve the air quality

ICTs and the computerised Hijab: Women's experiences of ICT in the UAE

This paper discusses a grounded theory study of women’s experience of ICTs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We were particularly interested in whether their gender, and the society in which they live, affected that experience. We identify three themes, ICT Use, Gender Perspective and UAE Society which together constitute an emergent theory of Women’s ICT experience in the UAE. We conclude by engaging the emergent theory with individual differences theory. Our findings show that ICT use in the UAE is a profoundly gendered experience, shaped by the Islam based society in which the women live

A framework for analysing blockchain technology adoption: Integrating institutional, market and technical factors

The adoption of blockchain technologies require the consideration of a broad range of factors, over and above the predominantly technology focus of most current work. Whilst scholarly literature on blockchain technology is only beginning to emerge, majority are focused on the technicalities of the technology and tend to ignore the organizational complexities of adopting the technology. Drawing from a focused review of literature, this paper proposed a conceptual framework for adoption of blockchain technology capturing the complex relationships between institutional, market and technical factors. The framework highlights that varying outcomes are possible, and the change process is focal as this shapes the form blockchain applications take. Factors presented in the framework (institutional, market and technical) interact and mutually influence each other. The proposed framework can be used by organisations as a reference point for adopting blockchain applications and by scholars to expand, refine and evaluate research into blockchain technology

Internet Censorship Circumvention Tools: Escaping the Control of the Syrian Regime

Studies have shown that authoritarian regimes tend to censor the media to limit potential threats to the status quo. While such censorship practices were traditionally aimed at broadcast and print media, the emergence of the Internet and social media in particular, prompted some authoritarian regimes, such as the Assad regime in Syria, to try and exert a similar level of censorship on the Internet as well. During the Arab Spring, the Syrian regime blocked hundreds of websites that provided social networking, news, and other services. Taking Syria as a case study, this paper examines whether Internet censorship succeeded in preventing Internet users from reaching censored online content during 2010−2012. By analyzing the use of Alkasir, a censorship circumvention tool created by the author, the paper provides empirical evidence demonstrating that users were in fact able to bypass censorship and access blocked websites. The findings demonstrate that censorship circumvention tools constituted a threat to the information control systems of authoritarian regimes, highlighting the potential of such tools to promote online freedom of expression in countries where Internet censorship is prevalent. (author's abstract

Breaking digital firewalls : analyzing internet censorship and circumvention in the arab world

This dissertation explores the role of Internet censorship and circumvention in the Arab world as well as Arabs’ views on the limits to free speech on the Internet. The project involves the creation of an Internet censorship circumvention tool named Alkasir that allows users to report and access certain types of censored websites. The study covers the Arab world at large with special focus on Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen. This work is of interdisciplinary nature and draws on the disciplines of media and communication studies and computer science. It uses a pioneering experimental approach by placing Alkasir in the hands of willing users who automatically feed a server with data about usage patterns without storing any of their personal information. In addition to the analysis of Alkasir usage data, Web surveys were used to learn about any technical and nontechnical Internet censorship practices that Arab users and content producers may have been exposed to. The study also aims at learning about users’ experiences with circumvention tools and how such tools could be improved. The study found that users have successfully reported and accessed hundreds of censored social networking, news, dissident, multimedia and other websites. The survey results show that while most Arab informants disapprove censoring online anti-government political content, the majority support the censoring of other types of content such as pornography, hate speech, and anti-religion material. Most informants indicated that circumvention tools should be free of charge, fast and reliable. An increase in awareness among survey respondents of the need for privacy and anonymity features in circumvention solutions was observed