Tarek Merabtene - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Tarek Merabtene

... Interactive User Interface for Rainfall-Runoff Analysis by Tank Model. MERABTENE Tarek; Dept.... more ... Interactive User Interface for Rainfall-Runoff Analysis by Tank Model. MERABTENE Tarek; Dept.of Civil Engineering,Faculty of Engineering,Kyushu University. JINNO Kenji; Dept.of Civil Engineering,Faculty of Engineering,Kyushu University. ...

Memoirs of the Faculty of Engineering. Kyushu University, 1998

Author;MERABTENE T(Kyushu Univ.) JINNO K(Kyushu Univ.) ... Abstract;This study proposes a risk ba... more Author;MERABTENE T(Kyushu Univ.) JINNO K(Kyushu Univ.) ... Abstract;This study proposes a risk based decision support system(DSS) to promote the operation and management of municipal water supply systems under drought conditions. The objective is to develop a ...

This study introduces the development of an integrated decision support system (DSS) for the wate... more This study introduces the development of an integrated decision support system (DSS) for the water supply system in Fukuoka City, Japan. The objective is to conceive a comprehensive tool that may aid decision-makers to derive the best water supply alternatives from a multi-reservoir system in order to minimize the long-term drought damages and threat of water shortage. The present DSS consists of a database manager, and simulation models for runoff analysis, water demand forecasting, and reservoir operation. The methodology applied explicitly integrates the drought risk assessment, based on the concept of reliability, resiliency, and vulnerability, as constraints to derive the management operation. The application of the DSS to the existing water supply system in Fukuoka City was found to be an efficient tool to facilitate the examination of a sequence of water supply scenarios toward an improved performance of the actual water supply system during periods of drought.

International Journal of Hydrology Science and Technology, 2020

ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 2015

In United Arab Emirates (UAE) domestic water consumption has increased rapidly over the last deca... more In United Arab Emirates (UAE) domestic water consumption has increased rapidly over the last decade. The increased demand for high-quality water, create an urgent need to evaluate the groundwater production of aquifers. The development of a reasonable model for groundwater potential is therefore crucial for future systematic developments, efficient management, and sustainable use of groundwater resources. The objective of this study is to map the groundwater potential zones in northern part of UAE and assess the contributing factors for exploration of potential groundwater resources. <br><br> Remote sensing data and geographic information system will be used to locate potential zones for groundwater. Various maps (i.e., base, soil, geological, Hydro-geological, Geomorphologic Map, structural, drainage, slope, land use/land cover and average annual rainfall map) will be prepared based on geospatial techniques. The groundwater availability of the basin will qualitatively c...

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is highly dependent on desalination for water supply in urban area... more The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is highly dependent on desalination for water supply in urban areas, which comes at significant financial and environmental costs. Therefore, reducing the demand for water is a strategic objective of water authorities in the UAE. The concentration of the UAE population in multi-story buildings in urban areas makes residential water conservation, including greywater recycling, a highly attractive option for reducing water demand and wastewater generation. However, the unique composition of the UAE population poses challenge to adopting water conservation policies that are suitable for the UAE national and expatriate sectors of the population. Furthermore, the current water recycling policies and legal framework do not encourage greywater recycling for internal use in residential buildings. In this study, a framework for assessing the potential and feasibility of water conservation, including greywater recycling, in multi-storey and detached dwellings in the UAE was developed and discussed. The results confirmed that significant potential existed for reducing the residential water demand in the UAE through adopting simple water conservation measures and greywater recycling in multi-story buildings. The discussion was extended to proposing greywater recycling systems suitable for multi-story buildings in the UAE. Such systems involve partial greywater recycling from the higher floors of multi-storey buildings to serve the toilet flushing needs of the whole building and locating greywater treatment systems on the roofs of buildings.

Water

In this study, multi-temporal satellite images combined with rainfall data and field observations... more In this study, multi-temporal satellite images combined with rainfall data and field observations were used to assess the spatial and temporal changes in urban flooding and urban water harvesting potential in the coastal city of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the period from 1976 to 2016. During the study period, the population increased by approximately 14-fold with about a 4-fold increase in built areas. Being in a hot, dry region with average rainfall of about 100 mm/year, the city did not invest in a comprehensive drainage infrastructure. As a result, the frequency, extent and risk associated with urban floods increased significantly. The expansion of built areas progressively increased the impervious land cover in the city, decreasing the minimum precipitation required to generate runoff by approximately 32% and significantly increasing the runoff coefficient. In parallel to rapid urbanization, the urban rainwater harvesting potential significantly increased over 1976-2016. Urban flood maps were generated using three thematic factors: excess rain, land elevation and land slope. The flood maps were confirmed by locating urban flood locations in the field using GPS. This study demonstrates the impact of urbanization through assessing the relationship between urbanization, runoff, local floods and rainwater harvesting potential in Sharjah and provides a basis for developing sustainable urban storm water management practices for the city and similar cities.

MATEC Web of Conferences

The work presented in this article is an extension of an earlier study [1] in which runoff in the... more The work presented in this article is an extension of an earlier study [1] in which runoff in the city of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), was assessed for the period 1967-2010. In this study, the impacts of urban expansion on potential flooding, storage and water harvesting were assessed for the period 1976-2016 using rainfall data recorded during the same period. Sharjah is a generally a flat coastal city that is located in a dry hot region average rainfall of approximately 100 mm/y. Remote sensing and GIS techniques were used to assess the expansion of built areas in the city using multi-temporal Landsat satellite images. The built areas in the city increased during the study period by approximately four folds while the population increased by more than 10 folds. The study results demonstrate the historical increase in runoff potential, flooding potential and runoff coefficient and decline in water storage potential. The results are consistent with the observed incidence of significant local flooding episodes in urban areas during rainfall events. Furthermore, an assessment of potential urban water harvesting based on expansion of built areas in the city is provided and appropriate urban storm water management practices for the city are recommended.

MATEC Web of Conferences

The monitoring of activated sludge processes is difficult because of their slow dynamics, the com... more The monitoring of activated sludge processes is difficult because of their slow dynamics, the complexity of their behavior. To obtain the desired level of performance in an activated sludge system, a proper balance must be maintained between aeration (energy consumption) and the quantity of sludge recirculation. The objective of this study is to determine the necessary amount of recirculated sludge in activated sludge process in the aim to reduce the energy consumption with respect of environmental standards. To achieving this objective, a comparative study between three models was performed. In order to reduce the complexity of activated-sludge process, the first is a linear model based on principal component analysis method (PCA), the second is an Adaptive Neural Fuzzy Inference System model (ANFIS), while the third is based on coupling of those two approaches. The best values of validation criterion obtained with the last method show the high performance of the hybrid model proposed...

Journal of Hydraulic Research

International Journal of Global Warming

Advances in Meteorology, 2016

Although a few studies on rainfall spatial and temporal variability in the UAE have been carried ... more Although a few studies on rainfall spatial and temporal variability in the UAE have been carried out, evidence of the impact of climate change on rainfall trends has not been reported. This study aims at assessing the significance of long-term rainfall trends and temporal variability at Sharjah City, UAE. Annual rainfall and seasonal rainfall extending over a period of 81 years (1934–2014) recorded at Sharjah International Airport have been analyzed. To this end, several parametric and nonparametric statistical measures have been applied following systematic data quality assessment. The analyses revealed that the annual rainfall trend decreased from −3 mm to −9.4 mm per decade over the study periods. The decreasing annual rainfall trend is mainly driven by the significant drop in winter rainfall, particularly during the period from 1977 to 2014. The results also indicate that high probability extreme events have shifted toward low frequency (12.7 years) with significant variations i...

Zeitschrift für angewandte Mathematik und Physik, 2016

Hydrological Processes, Aug 15, 2002

A decision support system (DSS) is developed and applied to assess the susceptibility of water su... more A decision support system (DSS) is developed and applied to assess the susceptibility of water supply systems to droughts, and to aid decision-makers in determining optimal supply strategies. The DSS integrates three fundamental modules for water resources management: (1) a real time rainfall-runoff forecasting model enhanced by Kalman filtering; (2) a water demand forecast model; and (3) a reservoir operation model. Simulation and optimization procedures for the reservoir operation model are based on risk analysis to evaluate the system performance and to derive the most appropriate supply strategy of minimum risk, for the designed operating conditions. The optimization technique, based on genetic algorithms, introduces two new and distinct features, with the aim of minimizing the risks of drought damage and improving the convergence of the model toward practical solutions. Firstly, risk-based measures of system performance, termed reliability, resiliency and vulnerability, are combined into a global risk index, referred to as the drought risk index (DRI). The DRI, formulated as a weighted function of the risk measures, serves as the objective function to be minimized during the search for the optimal operation. Secondly, in the genetic algorithm search, each new generation of water supply solutions is created from solutions with risk levels clustered inside a defined 'acceptable risk space'. In other words, the convergence of the algorithm is improved by retaining only those solutions with DRI values smaller than the maximum acceptable risk. As a case study, the DSS is applied to the water resources system in Fukuoka City, western Japan. The DSS is believed to be an efficient tool for the assessment of a sequence of water supply scenarios, leading to the improved utilization of existing water resources during drought.

Public Works Research Institute (PWRI), 1-6 Minamihara, 305-8516Tsukuba, Japan ... ABSTRACT This ... more Public Works Research Institute (PWRI), 1-6 Minamihara, 305-8516Tsukuba, Japan ... ABSTRACT This research presents a methodology to develop and apply global indicators as a ... Target-indicators modeling aims to explain the risk target to be reduced and to enable

... Interactive User Interface for Rainfall-Runoff Analysis by Tank Model. MERABTENE Tarek; Dept.... more ... Interactive User Interface for Rainfall-Runoff Analysis by Tank Model. MERABTENE Tarek; Dept.of Civil Engineering,Faculty of Engineering,Kyushu University. JINNO Kenji; Dept.of Civil Engineering,Faculty of Engineering,Kyushu University. ...

Memoirs of the Faculty of Engineering. Kyushu University, 1998

Author;MERABTENE T(Kyushu Univ.) JINNO K(Kyushu Univ.) ... Abstract;This study proposes a risk ba... more Author;MERABTENE T(Kyushu Univ.) JINNO K(Kyushu Univ.) ... Abstract;This study proposes a risk based decision support system(DSS) to promote the operation and management of municipal water supply systems under drought conditions. The objective is to develop a ...

This study introduces the development of an integrated decision support system (DSS) for the wate... more This study introduces the development of an integrated decision support system (DSS) for the water supply system in Fukuoka City, Japan. The objective is to conceive a comprehensive tool that may aid decision-makers to derive the best water supply alternatives from a multi-reservoir system in order to minimize the long-term drought damages and threat of water shortage. The present DSS consists of a database manager, and simulation models for runoff analysis, water demand forecasting, and reservoir operation. The methodology applied explicitly integrates the drought risk assessment, based on the concept of reliability, resiliency, and vulnerability, as constraints to derive the management operation. The application of the DSS to the existing water supply system in Fukuoka City was found to be an efficient tool to facilitate the examination of a sequence of water supply scenarios toward an improved performance of the actual water supply system during periods of drought.

International Journal of Hydrology Science and Technology, 2020

ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 2015

In United Arab Emirates (UAE) domestic water consumption has increased rapidly over the last deca... more In United Arab Emirates (UAE) domestic water consumption has increased rapidly over the last decade. The increased demand for high-quality water, create an urgent need to evaluate the groundwater production of aquifers. The development of a reasonable model for groundwater potential is therefore crucial for future systematic developments, efficient management, and sustainable use of groundwater resources. The objective of this study is to map the groundwater potential zones in northern part of UAE and assess the contributing factors for exploration of potential groundwater resources. <br><br> Remote sensing data and geographic information system will be used to locate potential zones for groundwater. Various maps (i.e., base, soil, geological, Hydro-geological, Geomorphologic Map, structural, drainage, slope, land use/land cover and average annual rainfall map) will be prepared based on geospatial techniques. The groundwater availability of the basin will qualitatively c...

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is highly dependent on desalination for water supply in urban area... more The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is highly dependent on desalination for water supply in urban areas, which comes at significant financial and environmental costs. Therefore, reducing the demand for water is a strategic objective of water authorities in the UAE. The concentration of the UAE population in multi-story buildings in urban areas makes residential water conservation, including greywater recycling, a highly attractive option for reducing water demand and wastewater generation. However, the unique composition of the UAE population poses challenge to adopting water conservation policies that are suitable for the UAE national and expatriate sectors of the population. Furthermore, the current water recycling policies and legal framework do not encourage greywater recycling for internal use in residential buildings. In this study, a framework for assessing the potential and feasibility of water conservation, including greywater recycling, in multi-storey and detached dwellings in the UAE was developed and discussed. The results confirmed that significant potential existed for reducing the residential water demand in the UAE through adopting simple water conservation measures and greywater recycling in multi-story buildings. The discussion was extended to proposing greywater recycling systems suitable for multi-story buildings in the UAE. Such systems involve partial greywater recycling from the higher floors of multi-storey buildings to serve the toilet flushing needs of the whole building and locating greywater treatment systems on the roofs of buildings.

Water

In this study, multi-temporal satellite images combined with rainfall data and field observations... more In this study, multi-temporal satellite images combined with rainfall data and field observations were used to assess the spatial and temporal changes in urban flooding and urban water harvesting potential in the coastal city of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the period from 1976 to 2016. During the study period, the population increased by approximately 14-fold with about a 4-fold increase in built areas. Being in a hot, dry region with average rainfall of about 100 mm/year, the city did not invest in a comprehensive drainage infrastructure. As a result, the frequency, extent and risk associated with urban floods increased significantly. The expansion of built areas progressively increased the impervious land cover in the city, decreasing the minimum precipitation required to generate runoff by approximately 32% and significantly increasing the runoff coefficient. In parallel to rapid urbanization, the urban rainwater harvesting potential significantly increased over 1976-2016. Urban flood maps were generated using three thematic factors: excess rain, land elevation and land slope. The flood maps were confirmed by locating urban flood locations in the field using GPS. This study demonstrates the impact of urbanization through assessing the relationship between urbanization, runoff, local floods and rainwater harvesting potential in Sharjah and provides a basis for developing sustainable urban storm water management practices for the city and similar cities.

MATEC Web of Conferences

The work presented in this article is an extension of an earlier study [1] in which runoff in the... more The work presented in this article is an extension of an earlier study [1] in which runoff in the city of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), was assessed for the period 1967-2010. In this study, the impacts of urban expansion on potential flooding, storage and water harvesting were assessed for the period 1976-2016 using rainfall data recorded during the same period. Sharjah is a generally a flat coastal city that is located in a dry hot region average rainfall of approximately 100 mm/y. Remote sensing and GIS techniques were used to assess the expansion of built areas in the city using multi-temporal Landsat satellite images. The built areas in the city increased during the study period by approximately four folds while the population increased by more than 10 folds. The study results demonstrate the historical increase in runoff potential, flooding potential and runoff coefficient and decline in water storage potential. The results are consistent with the observed incidence of significant local flooding episodes in urban areas during rainfall events. Furthermore, an assessment of potential urban water harvesting based on expansion of built areas in the city is provided and appropriate urban storm water management practices for the city are recommended.

MATEC Web of Conferences

The monitoring of activated sludge processes is difficult because of their slow dynamics, the com... more The monitoring of activated sludge processes is difficult because of their slow dynamics, the complexity of their behavior. To obtain the desired level of performance in an activated sludge system, a proper balance must be maintained between aeration (energy consumption) and the quantity of sludge recirculation. The objective of this study is to determine the necessary amount of recirculated sludge in activated sludge process in the aim to reduce the energy consumption with respect of environmental standards. To achieving this objective, a comparative study between three models was performed. In order to reduce the complexity of activated-sludge process, the first is a linear model based on principal component analysis method (PCA), the second is an Adaptive Neural Fuzzy Inference System model (ANFIS), while the third is based on coupling of those two approaches. The best values of validation criterion obtained with the last method show the high performance of the hybrid model proposed...

Journal of Hydraulic Research

International Journal of Global Warming

Advances in Meteorology, 2016

Although a few studies on rainfall spatial and temporal variability in the UAE have been carried ... more Although a few studies on rainfall spatial and temporal variability in the UAE have been carried out, evidence of the impact of climate change on rainfall trends has not been reported. This study aims at assessing the significance of long-term rainfall trends and temporal variability at Sharjah City, UAE. Annual rainfall and seasonal rainfall extending over a period of 81 years (1934–2014) recorded at Sharjah International Airport have been analyzed. To this end, several parametric and nonparametric statistical measures have been applied following systematic data quality assessment. The analyses revealed that the annual rainfall trend decreased from −3 mm to −9.4 mm per decade over the study periods. The decreasing annual rainfall trend is mainly driven by the significant drop in winter rainfall, particularly during the period from 1977 to 2014. The results also indicate that high probability extreme events have shifted toward low frequency (12.7 years) with significant variations i...

Zeitschrift für angewandte Mathematik und Physik, 2016

Hydrological Processes, Aug 15, 2002

A decision support system (DSS) is developed and applied to assess the susceptibility of water su... more A decision support system (DSS) is developed and applied to assess the susceptibility of water supply systems to droughts, and to aid decision-makers in determining optimal supply strategies. The DSS integrates three fundamental modules for water resources management: (1) a real time rainfall-runoff forecasting model enhanced by Kalman filtering; (2) a water demand forecast model; and (3) a reservoir operation model. Simulation and optimization procedures for the reservoir operation model are based on risk analysis to evaluate the system performance and to derive the most appropriate supply strategy of minimum risk, for the designed operating conditions. The optimization technique, based on genetic algorithms, introduces two new and distinct features, with the aim of minimizing the risks of drought damage and improving the convergence of the model toward practical solutions. Firstly, risk-based measures of system performance, termed reliability, resiliency and vulnerability, are combined into a global risk index, referred to as the drought risk index (DRI). The DRI, formulated as a weighted function of the risk measures, serves as the objective function to be minimized during the search for the optimal operation. Secondly, in the genetic algorithm search, each new generation of water supply solutions is created from solutions with risk levels clustered inside a defined 'acceptable risk space'. In other words, the convergence of the algorithm is improved by retaining only those solutions with DRI values smaller than the maximum acceptable risk. As a case study, the DSS is applied to the water resources system in Fukuoka City, western Japan. The DSS is believed to be an efficient tool for the assessment of a sequence of water supply scenarios, leading to the improved utilization of existing water resources during drought.

Public Works Research Institute (PWRI), 1-6 Minamihara, 305-8516Tsukuba, Japan ... ABSTRACT This ... more Public Works Research Institute (PWRI), 1-6 Minamihara, 305-8516Tsukuba, Japan ... ABSTRACT This research presents a methodology to develop and apply global indicators as a ... Target-indicators modeling aims to explain the risk target to be reduced and to enable