IMAN ABDEL-HADI

A PESTEL-AHP Benchmarking Framework for Solar PV Integration in Wastewater Treatment Plants

Abstract

Wastewater treatment plays a critical role in sustainable water management by rendering wastewater safe for reuse or discharging it into water bodies; however, water treatment is highly energy-intensive and contributes to emissions. Solar PV integration into treatment plants has proven its benefits in reducing carbon emissions, improving water management, and enhancing environmental sustainability. Multiple studies have tackled challenges in the water treatment sector; however, limited research addresses the barriers to solar PV integration in wastewater treatment plants in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. This paper focuses on understanding progress in the water sector in the GCC countries and on exploring their priorities in water management and solar PV integration. This paper applies the multidimensional PESTEL framework to examine the multifaceted water sector. AHP is then used to rank each indicator selected for each PESTEL pillar. The study reveals that, despite national plans for solar PV integration in desalination across the region, there is a lack of institutional readiness to integrate solar PV into wastewater treatment plants. Although GCC countries have demonstrated technological readiness for solar PV, as evidenced by centralized solar PV plants, there remains a gap in implementing decentralized solar PV solutions for wastewater treatment plants. This can be attributed to the reliance on fossil fuels for electricity generation, which can hinder solar PV adoption for wastewater treatment plants in Qatar and the GCC region. Feasibility studies for solar PV implementation are required to study the potential integration of solar PV for energy-intensive processes in the GCC region.

Biography

Iman Abdel-Hadi is currently a PhD student in the Sustainable Development Division at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. Iman graduated from Qatar University in 2021 with a degree in chemistry from the College of Arts and Sciences (accredited by the Canadian Society for Chemistry). In 2024, Iman earned a Master’s in Sustainable Environment from Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar. Iman began her career as a research assistant on the Belmont Forum project, which focused on groundwater management and emphasized the critical importance of sustainable water resources. Iman is an active member of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and has also served as a board member and secretary of the ACS student chapter at Qatar University for 2 years (2019-2021). In terms of publications, the author has contributions in the field of water treatment using adsorbents and membranes. Additionally, Iman participated in several conferences where she presented her research, such as ICSEWEN in Doha, Qatar, and the ACS/RSC MEA Regional Conference 2024. Iman is currently working on papers in the field of water management. Recently, Iman joined the RSC as a member and joined the Chemistry World newsletter as a contributor.