Qatar has always stood in the forefront of global causes. In this regard, protection of environment is paramount. Under the wise leadership of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the State of Qatar gives great importance to protecting the Qatari environment, its natural resources and contributing to sustainable development.
On the occasion of Qatar Environment Day which falls on February 26 of every year, Minister of Municipality and Environment H E Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie said that this shows the importance attached to the Day that aims to ensure the sustainability of a decent life for the Qatari people at present and in the future, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and its four pillars in the human, social, economic and environment fields. And allocating a day to the environment each year itself is a clear indication of the attention given to sustainable environmental development by the wise leadership.
It’s a well-know fact that our environment is our future. So it is not only the responsibility of the government or other authorities to take care of the environment, but it’s the duty of an every individual and institution to take care of the environment. The participation of all communities, especially schools and other private organisation is very important in this endeavour. Things such as limiting usage of non-degradable plastics that are commonly used for shopping are also very important to protect the nature.
As the Minister said the strategy also included promoting environmental awareness and culture, monitoring and verifying the commitment of the various economic sectors in the country to environmental standards, as well as working to modernize and develop environmental legislation and regulations, in line with global developments and priorities for sustainable environmental action and enhance cooperation and standardisation of environmental and climate change perspectives, on regional and international levels.
The World Economic Forum in Davos ranked extreme weather, natural disasters, climate change and water crises as the top four existential threats in its new Global Risks Report 2019. The UN system’s chief scientist on weather and climate warned last week that climate change has “a multitude of security impacts” and is increasingly regarded as a national security threat with global warming records broken in 20 of the last 22 years.
The Minister also said that the Ministry of Municipality and Environment confirms its belief in and commitment to the environment and its development so as to sustain it through implementing the ministry’s specialties, missions and the strategies of the Second National Development Strategy 2018-2022 and the ministry’s strategic plan and international conventions and agreements related to the environment.
In addition to various procedures, that plans are also afoot for environmental projects and programs through preserving gardens, improving and replanting them and preventing overgrazing as well as preventing dumping and land-clearing, through cleaning campaigns for the gardens with the participation of all groups of society.
The procedures also include preserving the ocean and coast by reducing discharge from large industrial establishments, sea dredging, supervising waste dumping and preventing of marine pollution. In addition to protecting endangered animals, seeking to reproduce them and preserve their genetic imprint, conserving non-renewable natural resources and reducing its depletion.
