The Third International Conference on Regional Planning Scientific Studies and Research Proposing Sustainable Solutions to Many Environmental Problems Using Artificial Intelligence Applications

 The scientific research and studies submitted to the Third International Conference on Regional Planning were distinguished by diverse ideas, proposals and visions, providing solutions to environmental problems, and reviewing global experiences in the field of artificial intelligence applications.

Dr. Abdul Latif Muheisen from the Higher Institute of Regional Planning gave a lecture on silicate concrete using mineral raw materials in Syria, stressing the importance of these materials and the necessity of benefiting from them in the reconstruction phase, especially since the samples produced from them proved their effectiveness after experimentation.

Master’s students at the Higher Institute of Regional Planning, Mudar Issa, Nabil Al-Saydali, and Nour Abbas, presented a study on the role of urban digital platforms in regional planning and how to develop the planning wheel in Syria. The research addressed several points including the role of basic indicators and how the data that has been obtained can be benefited from and developed through urban planning methods, which increases the sustainability of areas and enhances the role of planning which aims to determine community behaviors in general and raises community awareness on these issues.

Architect Wiam Al-Shaer participated in a research on promoting eco-tourism as a sustainable resource for regional development, such as the Orontes River in the city of Hama, due to its exposure to many environmentally destructive pollutants, indicating the existence of groups of components that can contribute to its development.

Engineer Abdul Rahman Murad , a doctoral student at the Higher Institute of Regional Planning, conducted a study on the efficiency of using an anaerobic reactor equipped with biological carriers with artificial wetlands in treating wastewater, in which he showed that wastewater is one of the largest pollutants of natural water sources when it is discharged directly without proper treatment, pointing out that this treatment includes technologies represented by the anaerobic reactor and artificial wetlands, which are considered plant treatments.

Dr. Tamador Al-Ibrahim from the National Private University presented research on the use of multi-criteria decision-making tools to identify potential sites for water harvesting, due to its importance for the sustainable development of water resources in light of conditions of climate change, increasing population, and scarcity of ground and surface water. Therefore, it was necessary to think of a solution that achieves sustainable development to combat the shortage of water resources in the future. The idea was to harvest rainwater by constructing dams in dry and semi-arid areas to benefit from surface runoff in agricultural and economic activities.

Engineer Omnia Sheikha discussed in her research Water as a natural heritage element in Syria and its role in promoting sustainable development. The importance of the research stems from highlighting the current challenges facing the country regarding water. She presented the most important water systems in Syria and the threats to which they are exposed. She concluded the presentation by mentioning the goals of sustainable development which are concerned with aquatic systems, with an emphasis on the need to take the necessary measures and raise public awareness and individual responsibility towards this national natural heritage.

Researcher Aamer Deeb explained the concept that regional green transport implies every mechanism that operates without the use of fuel, whether bicycles, cars, buses or trains. He also emphasized the importance of launching the transport sector in Syria according to a new vision, lower costs and greater benefit, and the necessity to provide various facilities and procedures that will encourage investment and transformation in the green transportation sector because of its positive effects on the individual, society and economy.