CATHERINE W GICHUKI

DOHA QATAR Foundation International (QFI) on Sunday launched the Youth Ambassadors for Science & Environment (YASE) programme which aims to equip the youth with skills they need to face global challenges like climate change, water conservation and other environmental issues.

The programme is being implemented in collaboration with Qatar Shell, Qatar National Research Fund, Conservation International and Secondary School Research Experience Programme (SSREP) It was announced on the sidelines of the Qatar Environment Education Fair by Abdul Sattar al Taie, executive director of Qatar National Research Fund, and Dr Sabeur Mansar, vice-president for commercial and new business development at Qatar Shell.

Already four Qatari high school students have been selected to become youth ambassadors and will join other ambassadors from the United States and Brazil at the Rio +20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in June in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Qatar Shell will sponsor the students at the conference.

The students also participated in the launch of the ‘Mapping Mangroves Programme’, a project focused on increasing awareness, promoting conversation, and fostering action around both Qatar’s and world mangroves at Dakhira Magroves on Saturday.

The YASE programme will help train youth from Qatar, the US and Brazil to understand better critical environmental issues and effectively raise the awareness in their communities. It also aims to expose students to environmental conservation and innovation.

Speaking to Qatar Tribune, Mansar said the students will study mangroves in Brazil, besides other topics to empower young people to make a difference in their communities.

“This project will reach out, educate, and influence the Qatari youths to think about sustainable development.

This is in line with Shell’s support to the human development pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030,” Mansar said.

Sahar al Ansari, one of the selected youth ambassadors and a student at Raba’a Independent Girls School, said, “I am looking forward to learn about how to take care of mangroves. I will share the knowledge with the community.” “We were selected for our commitment to the environmental issues. We are happy to represent Qatar in Brazil,” said Maryam al Nesf, another ambassador and student of the Academic Bridge Program.

a project focused on increasing awareness, promoting conversation, and fostering action around preservation of both Qatar’s and the world’s mangrovesa project focused on increasing awareness, promoting conversation, and fostering action around preservation of both Qatar’s and the world’s mangroves.