This study presents a comprehensive data analysis using univariate and multivariate statistical techniques as a tool to establish a baseline for the assessment of water quality parameters in environmental compartments. The Al Wasit Nature Reserve is a hypersaline wetland in the UAE with a spatial fluctuation in water parameters as water flows above ground as well as ponds forming in deeper areas and over the year due to the arid climate and seasonality. Water samples were collected at fifteen sites along the hypersaline wetland over three periods during the months of February to March 2021 as temperatures started to rise with the oncoming summer. Water quality parameters, including the temperature, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), electrical conductivity (EC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), chloride, ammonia, and nitrates, were measured. The results of the data analysis were used to group the sites, which were divided into three groups with similar water quality characteristics. Correlation assessments between all studied parameters revealed significant differences in the values of eight of the evaluated parameters between the three identified clusters, with only the nitrate concentrations and dissolved oxygen parameters not being significant. It was found that one of the three clusters (cluster 1) performed better than the other two for most of the studied parameters. The results of this study demonstrate the applicability and the potential time and cost savings of the usage of data analysis tools for long-term data monitoring in the wetland and other environmental systems worldwide.

The residential sector is multi-faceted by nature. Although evidence shows that the UAE is among the countries in the world that take sustainability seriously, there is a lack of information about the perception of sustainability by occupants in the residential sector in the UAE. The aim of this paper is to assess the perception of sustainability of the residential sector in the UAE, which is achieved by following a methodological framework using the relevant literature review and experts’ knowledge. An online survey was distributed to the targeted population, followed by a statistical analysis to fulfill the aim of the paper. Results confirm the correlation between social, economic, and environmental aspects of sustainability. Additionally, structural equation modeling reveals that the perception of sustainability is significantly influenced by economic and environmental aspects in the residential sector in the UAE. Comparative analysis shows a statistical difference in the perception of sustainability among gender, educational level, employment status, and monthly income. Finally, a predictive classification model is built to classify the perception of occupants based on their attributes using decision tree algorithms. The outcomes of this study would be beneficial to policy and decision makers, developers, contractors, designers, and facility management entities to enhance overall sustainability in the residential sector.

This study investigated the concentrations of metals in stormwater runoff collected during two extreme flooding events on the American University of Sharjah (AUS) campus in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Given the increasing frequency of intense rainfall in arid regions, stormwater contamination represents a growing environmental and public health concern. Stormwater samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) to quantify metal concentrations. The results showed that iron (0.049–2.080 mg/L), aluminum (0.097–2.020 mg/L), and potassium (0.614–3.860 mg/L) were the most abundant metals detected. Lower concentrations were observed for manganese (0.000–0.058 mg/L), barium (0.000–0.073 mg/L), chromium (0.000–0.013 mg/L), nickel (0.000–0.038 mg/L), and vanadium (0.000–0.004 mg/L). These findings underscore the critical need for effective stormwater management in arid regions, where climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Improved drainage systems and long-term monitoring are essential to mitigate the environmental and public health risks posed by stormwater contamination in rapidly urbanizing areas.