العربية
Sohar, Oman – Professor Rakesh Belwal from the Faculty of Business at Sohar University has been selected as a Social Scientist for a prestigious NASA-awarded research project entitled “Impact Assessment of the Decision and Information System for the Coastal Waters of Oman.”
The announcement was made by Professor Dale Kiefer, Principal Investigator from the University of Southern California, USA, during his keynote address at the recent UNESCO Conference organized by Sohar University. The grant is part of an ongoing initiative to assess the impact of the Decision and Information System for the Coastal Waters of Oman (DISCO), a system designed to improve coastal resource management.
DISCO, developed through a collaboration between a team of ocean scientists from the United States and the Marine Science and Fisheries Centre (MSFC) in Muscat, aims to empower MSFC in monitoring and forecasting coastal conditions and threats. These include harmful algal blooms, which can disrupt desalination plants, degrade water quality, and impact fisheries and aquaculture. The system integrates satellite imagery, three-dimensional ocean simulations, and systems-driven models to support decision-making for coastal stakeholders. A team of ten scientists from the US and Oman was involved in the previous phase of the DISCO project.
As part of the new initiative, the NASA-funded impact assessment will focus on evaluating the value of DISCO’s products for Omani coastal resource stakeholders. This study will involve launching web-streaming services, hosting in-person and remote stakeholder meetings, and analyzing stakeholder responses to structured questionnaires. Professor Belwal, in his role as Social Scientist, will play a lead role in the analysis of stakeholder engagement, adoption challenges, and the socio-economic implications of the DISCO system in Oman together with another social scientist from the US.
The project is set to begin with conferences and stakeholder meetings in April, hosted at Sohar University and a conference center in Muscat. These meetings will serve as a platform for engaging government bodies, industry leaders, and academic institutions in discussions about the future of Oman’s coastal resource management and the role of advanced digital technologies in supporting sustainable development.
Speaking about the collaboration, Professor Belwal expressed his enthusiasm: “This initiative represents a significant step towards integrating cutting-edge digital solutions into Oman’s coastal resource management framework. I am honored to contribute to this project by analyzing stakeholder engagement and ensuring that the benefits of the DISCO system reach all relevant sectors.”
With NASA and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries Wealth, and Water Resources, Oman supporting this effort, the research aims to pave the way for stronger scientific collaboration, enhanced digital literacy in marine sciences, and sustainable management of Oman’s coastal resources.