The purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature to draw an understanding of the relationship between indoor environmental quality and occupant productivity in an office environment. The study reviews over 300 papers from 67 journals, conference articles and books focusing on indoor environment, occupant comfort, productivity and green buildings. It limits its focus to the physical aspects of an office environment. The literature outlines eight Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) factors that influence occupant productivity in an office environment. It also discusses different physical parameters under each of the IEQ factors. It proposes a conceptual model of different factors affecting occupant productivity. The study also presents a review of the data collection methods utilised by the research studies that aim to investigate the relationship between IEQ and occupant productivity. The study presents a comprehensive discussion and analysis of different IEQ factors that affect occupant productivity. The paper provides a concise starting point for future researchers interested in the area of indoor environmental quality. Keywords: occupant productivity, workplace satisfaction, indoor environment quality, occupant comfortPaper type: Literature review IntroductionHumans spend most of their time indoors, and the majority of the world's population lives in urban areas and work in an office environment (ASHRAE, 1993). There has been a significant global shift in the economy from the manufacturing sector towards the service and knowledge-based sectors which operate in indoor office environments (Haynes, 2008b, World Green Building Council, 2014. Hence, it is becoming important to understand the indoor office environment and the effect it has on occupant productivity. An office environment has a high level of influence on its occupants' productivity (Leaman and Bordass, 1999, Frontczak et al., 2012, Roelofsen, 2002, Mawson, 2002, Van der Voordt, 2004. Past studies on sustainable buildings postulate that green design strategies and technologies enhance the indoor workplace environment. Such strategies/technologies enable the creation of an environment which favours occupants' comfort and performance in both newly built and retrofitted buildings (Romm and Browning, 1994). The majority of the building stock that will exist in 2050 has already been built (2009). Thus, there is a need to investigate the quality of the indoor workplace environment and its relationship to occupant productivity. This paper establishes the state-of-the-art on environmental factors that influence occupant productivity in the office environment. It also highlights and discusses various occupant productivity measurement methods used in indoor environment research studies. This research will help construction industry professionals improve the designs that allow better operation of office buildings along with improving the productivity of the occupants. BackgroundThe research on the direct and indirect effects of indoor environ...

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The present investigation was deals with identifying traditional uses of medicinal plants for curing a variety of ailments and degree of religious conservation for retention of ethnobotanical knowledge. The study was carried out in the State of Qatar to document the ethnobotanical uses of 58 medicinally important plant species including identification, botanical name, Arabic name, family, habit, habitat, distribution pattern, and the plant parts used for curing variety of ailments. The documented species belong to 54 plant genera and 30 botanical families. They have been used to cure more than 38 different kinds of human ailments. A majority of ethnobotanical plant species belonging to shrubs (41.38%) followed by perennial herbs (31.04%), annual herbs (18.96%) and trees (8.62%) respectively. The frequency of ethnobotanical plant species were recorded maximum in fabaceae (13.79%), followed by lamiaceae, chenopodiaceae (6.89% each), asteraceae, capparaceae, polygonaceae, boraginaceae, aizooaceae (5.17% each), brassicaceae, asclepiadaceae, convolvulaceae, zygophyllaceae, solanaceae (3.44% each) while, remaining 17 families had one (1.72%) species each. Perception of stakeholders concerning prioritization and categorization of potential native plants and 25 ethnobotanical species were prioritized and ranked on the basis of their multipurpose use value, feasibility climatic conditions and Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) criteria measures i.e. drought resistant, low water requirement, growth performance, survival rate, canopy size, adaptation potential, low maintenance and use value for sustainability and landscaping. The analysis emphasized the potentials of ethnomedicinal research, sustainable utilization, conservation initiatives, and urgent need to document ethnobotanical knowledge for sustainability and scientific validation to prevent their losses.

The interactions between water, energy, and food in terms of economic and environmental outcomes under conditions of a changing climate are something that all countries will need to understand if they intend to effectively manage the consequences. Qatar's measures to increase food security and diversification of the energy system and economy can provide valuable insights to other countries with similar climates but who have a lower capacity to respond. Through Qatari-based organisations, best practice reflecting local characteristics can be shared throughout the region and beyond.The aim of this paper is to arrive at projections of CO 2 emissions in new cities in Qatar by 2020 using GSAS standards under a number of scenarios coupled with specific interventions that help them meet national and regional targets. The estimated CO 2 equivalent savings were calculated using GSAS energy calculator and based on the total area of the registered project and anticipated projects provided by different entities applying GSAS in Qatar. The projected annual savings of CO 2 emissions due to energy use reduction can be realised by 2020 when projects planned or under construction are completed. The projected CO 2 emission reduction is reported and compared with the international standards.