To: Naqaa Abbas

From Team 4 : <Aisha Al Kubaisi, Sara Al Darwish, Arar Al Naimi, Arif Sunarwan>
Subject: Possible Engineering Problems for Project 1
Date: Sunday, March 1, 2024

Dear Naqaa Abbas,

This memo highlights the practical engineering challenges that our team is interested in
focusing on. We have determined that the following three important problems require further
study: excessive car usage in the city, supporting children with difficult upbringings, and
addressing limited knowledge for a healthy lifestyle.

Option A: Car Overuse in the City

Concerningly high levels of air pollution in Doha, Qatar are primarily caused by the population's
heavy reliance on cars and automobiles. Threats to the environment and public health are
increasingly present in the city's infrastructure, which was developed with a significant reliance
on private vehicles. [1] The population's increased respiratory risks are a sign of Qatar's
declining environmental quality. The costs of environmental cleanup, regulatory compliance, and
infrastructure restoration are only a few of the economic setbacks caused by this excessive car
use.

Option B: Children with Challenging Upbringings

Due to the luxurious lifestyle of most Qatari families and the lack of parenting knowledge, many
children inherit conduct/behavioral problems which are due to various reasons such as incorrect
parenting styles and the high rates of divorce. These problems are then aggravated as the child
grows and becomes an adult which then snowballs the problems in society into much bigger
problems.

Option C: Qatar’s Obesity Epidemic

Qatar faces a serious national health issue with a high obesity rate amongst school-age
children. It is reported that nearly 46% of the children are either overweight or obese [2].This
alarming percentage is largely the result of unhealthy food marketing which encourages bad
eating habits at a young age as well as Qatar’s sedentary lifestyle. This issue has larger
ramifications as clinical research shows that childhood obesity raises the likelihood of adult
health related issues.
 Decision Matrix

Research Environmental Economic Social Potential Total

Complexity Impact Impact Impact Solutions

Qatar’s 11 18 11 6 11 57
Excessive
Car Usage

Children 11 8 13 19 14 65
with a
Difficult
Upbringing

Qatar’s 13 10 14 19 12 68
Obesity
Problem

The teams overall ratings were used to fill in the matrix’s criteria. Ratings were done on a 1 to 5
scale, with number 5 signifying the most importance and number 1 with the least importance.

Research Complexity: refers to the difficulty related with researching and understanding the
multifaceted aspects of the issue.

Environmental Impact: refers to the effectiveness the issue has on the environment, including
ecological implications and sustainability considerations.

Economic Impact: refers to the influence the chosen issue has on economic factors such as
cost effectiveness and Qatar’s overall economic stability.

Social Impact: refers to the implications the research has on the communities well-being, social
cohesion and healthcare

Potential Solutions: refers to the viability and effectiveness of the proposed solution, or
interventions which address the chosen issue considering positive outcomes.
Works Cited:
[1]: Ibrahim, Menatalla. “Global Obesity Epidemic: Qatar’s Battle with Rising Weight Gain.”
Doha News | Qatar, 2 Aug. 2023,
dohanews.co/global-obesity-epidemic-qatars-battle-with-rising-weight-gain/#:~:text=psychologic
al%20health%20risks.-,In%20Qatar%2C%2046.1%25%20women%20and%2035.9%25%20me
n%20above%20the,women%20and%207.5%25%20for%20men.

[2]: Lanouar, Charfeddine. Air Pollution in Qatar: Causes and Challenges, 2016,
www.qu.edu.qa/static_file/qu/colleges/cbe/documents/research/Charfeddine_2016.pdf.