Minister of Environment and Climate Change H E Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani (2nd left), President of QU Dr. Hassan Al Derham (2nd right), QU’s Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies Prof. Mariam Al Maadeed (right) and Assistant Undersecretary for Protection and Natural Reserves Affairs at the MOECC Dr. Ibrahim Abdullatif Al Maslamani (left) at the MoU signing ceremony.
Doha: Qatar University (QU) and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) signed an MoU to cooperate in environmental research and projects. The MoU was signed in the presence of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change H E Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani and President of QU, Dr. Hassan Al Derham, at the university’s campus.
The agreement was signed by Assistant Undersecretary for Protection and Natural Reserves Affairs at the MOECC, Dr. Ibrahim Abdullatif Al Maslamani and QU’s Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, Prof. Mariam Al Maadeed.
In his statement, following the signing of the agreement, Dr. Al Maslamani welcomed the cooperation with QU, noting that the university is one of the important national institutions in study and research. Dr. Al Maslamani noted that the Ministry is working to benefit from the scientific expertise of the University, which will enable MOECC decision-makers to take appropriate evidence-based decisions. This cooperation is one way of implementing the national strategy where it concerns environmental sustainability, he explained.
He said, “I am confident that the work that Qatar University carries out will cover the three areas of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, which includes protection of natural reserves, protecting the environment, and the field of climate change and sustainability, which includes ensuring capacity building through training.”
Dr. Al Maslamani stressed that this cooperation is a continuation of the previous cooperation between the university and the ministry, as this cooperation was preceded by research in various areas, the most important of which is studying the impact of the camping season socially and environmentally in the country.
In her statement on the occasion, Prof. Al Maadeed noted that QU looks forward to cooperation with various institutions and bodies in the country to achieve the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, with the aim of tackling various environmental challenges. She added that the cooperation with the Ministry is not the first between both parties, but rather a continued alliance to enhance joint work in many fields for the exchange of information and experience. In the field of environmental issues, she added that QU is an incubator for expertise, programmes and disciplines.
The two parties aim to confront challenges facing the Qatari environment and its innate and biological diversity, believing in the vital role played by scientific research in serving community issues. The agreement also includes cooperation in exchanging experiences in various fields, including statistics and data, as well as holding meetings and trainings between experts and specialists, forming working committees to develop joint plans, and holding consultative meetings.
The agreement covers areas of common interest such as: Biodiversity and wildlife and their environmental status; management, development and rehabilitation of natural reserves; the impact of hunting operations on the environment and fungal organisms inside and outside natural reserves; the state of the environment and many others.
