Meriam Jelliti
Doha
On World Environment Day 2022, experts and environmentalists discussed options to protect Qatar’s diverse ecological systems during the ‘Living Desert’ event held by Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future.
The event, held in collaboration with Qatar National Library (QNL), featured panel discussions that included experts from QF’s Quranic Botanic Garden (QBG) and Qatar Natural History Group.
Titled ‘Conservation and Restorative Policies for the Terrestrial Ecology of Qatar and Other Hot Arid Lands’, the panel was attended by Executive Director of Earthna Dr Gonzalo Castro de la Mata and Executive Director of QNL Tan Huism, along with numerous participants, who discussed how to fend off the threat of overgrazing, inappropriate recreational land uses pollution and habitat loss from agriculture and urban expansion.
Following the panel discussion, the event also hosted the launch of ‘Hidden Beauty’, a book by Dr René Richer, a comprehensive and scientifically up-to-date documentation of Qatar’s flora.
"When I was first considering writing this book and telling people I want to write a book about plants in Qatar, they assumed it was going to be very short, and that goes to express how the wonderful ecosystem in Qatar is often underappreciated or undervalued,” said Richer.
"Nearly eight years of my life were spent in the desert of Qatar, and so I have arranged this book by focusing on plant families in a way that helps understand the plants. We have also tried to offer a new perspective through photographs where we aim to engage with the reader. Through the eyes of a biologist and a photographer, we wish that the reader will see Qatar and grow an appreciation of plants.” she explained.
Dr de la Mata said that the need to conserve Qatar’s unique desert biodiversity and ecosystems and raise public awareness of its importance is an essential part of Earthna’s sustainability agenda, as it is a critical issue, not only for Qatar but also for other countries in the region and in arid environments.
He said, "The book is not only written from a scientific perspective but also brings awareness of the importance Qatar ecosystem. It is a result of 15 years of work done by Dr Rene, and not only that it contains all of the floras of Qatar but it focuses on the beauty of these flowers and on the fact that most people do not know they exist. We are gathered on Environment Day to try and change the common thought that the desert is an empty space because, in fact, the Qatari desert is very lively and some of the plants are an example of resilience given that they live in the harshest of environments. They flower once every three years, with a beauty that you will not see anywhere else.”
"We will use this event as a launch of a new campaign, so that we can promote the conservation of Qatar ecosystems, enhancing the awareness of the ecosystem of Qatar and for people to feel proud of the amazing life of the desert is our aim.” he added
As a key player in promoting the value of and preserving the environmental ecosystem in Qatar, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change said, "The Department of Environmental Protection, Natural Reserves and Wildlife play an effective role in implementing many of the said policies at the local level. In its scope of work, it focuses on strengthening the institutional framework and overlooking the sustainable management of biodiversity.
"The department achieves this feat by focusing on biodiversity protection and conservation activities; ensuring sustainable use of non-renewable natural resources through enacting relevant legislation; developing the natural vegetation; rehabilitating degraded pastures and enhancing their revegetation; and combating land degradation due to desertification.”
To this end, the department capitalises on studies as is the case in preventing the consequences of overgrazing and other human activities, taking into account the national development requirements.
Additionally, the department makes sure to take part in promoting these policies, making use of awareness programmes and community participation, it aims at applying the preservation of the wild environment components to rise to the sought target and outcome. This pours into achieving the requirements of the fourth pillar of Qatar National Vision 2030: achieving environmental sustainability.”
The event is the latest initiative by Earthna, a QF-affiliated non-profit policy centre, and is part of its wider Living Deserts campaign to put in motion policies that pave the way for Qatar to become a global exemplar of restorative sustainability and a center for bio-safe tourism.
Doha
On World Environment Day 2022, experts and environmentalists discussed options to protect Qatar’s diverse ecological systems during the ‘Living Desert’ event held by Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future.
The event, held in collaboration with Qatar National Library (QNL), featured panel discussions that included experts from QF’s Quranic Botanic Garden (QBG) and Qatar Natural History Group.
Titled ‘Conservation and Restorative Policies for the Terrestrial Ecology of Qatar and Other Hot Arid Lands’, the panel was attended by Executive Director of Earthna Dr Gonzalo Castro de la Mata and Executive Director of QNL Tan Huism, along with numerous participants, who discussed how to fend off the threat of overgrazing, inappropriate recreational land uses pollution and habitat loss from agriculture and urban expansion.
Following the panel discussion, the event also hosted the launch of ‘Hidden Beauty’, a book by Dr René Richer, a comprehensive and scientifically up-to-date documentation of Qatar’s flora.
"When I was first considering writing this book and telling people I want to write a book about plants in Qatar, they assumed it was going to be very short, and that goes to express how the wonderful ecosystem in Qatar is often underappreciated or undervalued,” said Richer.
"Nearly eight years of my life were spent in the desert of Qatar, and so I have arranged this book by focusing on plant families in a way that helps understand the plants. We have also tried to offer a new perspective through photographs where we aim to engage with the reader. Through the eyes of a biologist and a photographer, we wish that the reader will see Qatar and grow an appreciation of plants.” she explained.
Dr de la Mata said that the need to conserve Qatar’s unique desert biodiversity and ecosystems and raise public awareness of its importance is an essential part of Earthna’s sustainability agenda, as it is a critical issue, not only for Qatar but also for other countries in the region and in arid environments.
He said, "The book is not only written from a scientific perspective but also brings awareness of the importance Qatar ecosystem. It is a result of 15 years of work done by Dr Rene, and not only that it contains all of the floras of Qatar but it focuses on the beauty of these flowers and on the fact that most people do not know they exist. We are gathered on Environment Day to try and change the common thought that the desert is an empty space because, in fact, the Qatari desert is very lively and some of the plants are an example of resilience given that they live in the harshest of environments. They flower once every three years, with a beauty that you will not see anywhere else.”
"We will use this event as a launch of a new campaign, so that we can promote the conservation of Qatar ecosystems, enhancing the awareness of the ecosystem of Qatar and for people to feel proud of the amazing life of the desert is our aim.” he added
As a key player in promoting the value of and preserving the environmental ecosystem in Qatar, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change said, "The Department of Environmental Protection, Natural Reserves and Wildlife play an effective role in implementing many of the said policies at the local level. In its scope of work, it focuses on strengthening the institutional framework and overlooking the sustainable management of biodiversity.
"The department achieves this feat by focusing on biodiversity protection and conservation activities; ensuring sustainable use of non-renewable natural resources through enacting relevant legislation; developing the natural vegetation; rehabilitating degraded pastures and enhancing their revegetation; and combating land degradation due to desertification.”
To this end, the department capitalises on studies as is the case in preventing the consequences of overgrazing and other human activities, taking into account the national development requirements.
Additionally, the department makes sure to take part in promoting these policies, making use of awareness programmes and community participation, it aims at applying the preservation of the wild environment components to rise to the sought target and outcome. This pours into achieving the requirements of the fourth pillar of Qatar National Vision 2030: achieving environmental sustainability.”
The event is the latest initiative by Earthna, a QF-affiliated non-profit policy centre, and is part of its wider Living Deserts campaign to put in motion policies that pave the way for Qatar to become a global exemplar of restorative sustainability and a center for bio-safe tourism.