Qatar - Expert calls for making environmental awareness a cultural habit

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Ayeni Olusegun | The Peninsula

Prof. Hamad Al Saad Al Kuwari, Director of Environmental Science Center at Qatar University, has stressed that incorporating environmental awareness into cultural habits would significantly contribute to saving the planet. 

Prof. Al Kuwari stated that Qatar celebrating its national Environment Day under the slogan“Our environment is a trust,” indicates the importance of collective efforts towards conservation. Besides, last year's Qatar National Day (QND) 2021 theme,“Ancestral Meadows: A Matter of Trust,” also underlined the country's attachment to the environment, heritage and legacy.

“This year's slogan shows clearly, as previous years' experience has taught us that environmental protection and conservation of our natural components is not and cannot be the responsibility of specific people or institutes,” Prof. Al Kuwari told The Peninsula.

“It is a collective work that should involve everyone, simply because the environment is an integrated system that requires an integrated approach. Therefore, environmental awareness should be part of the daily life of people everywhere. 

“Changing our course toward the environment into a cultural habit or attitude is the only way to save our environment and eventually ourselves as a species at the end. As we have seen in the last few years, climatic problems affect all the corners of the sphere and do not spare anyone. 

“Every person should be a proud member of this effort, from the children in their schools to the researchers in their laboratories,” he added.

Qatar has launched a series of initiatives and activities to raise awareness about climate change and the importance of preserving its biodiversity. The 'Plant a million trees' initiative, formation of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, financial and policy commitments to global conservation efforts and the groundbreaking National Environment and Climate Change Strategy are highlights of an unwavering policy.

The significance of these policies in a region like the Middle East cannot be underestimated. Given its geographic location and arid climate conditions, the region is one of the most vulnerable to climate stresses, especially rising temperatures and water scarcity. Climate change has already been observed in the region and is expected to accelerate and intensify in the near future.

Besides, the dependence on hydrocarbon in the region for economic development has proved a challenging hurdle for governments, but recent diversification strategies and green energy investment illuminate a promising future.

“Due to the geographic location of this region, it has, as a start, an extreme climatic condition: high temperature, shortage of water, and scarce vegetation cover. Moreover, anthropogenic activities aggravated the situation after discovering oil and gas in land and sea and the extensive urbanization that followed,” Prof Al Kuwari noted. 

He added that climatic changes witnessed during the last few decades would make life more difficult and will impose more stress on the limited natural resources.“We are already noticing a sharp decline in the native plants, bleaching and deterioration of coral reefs in the Gulf. So, it is of prime importance that we set an example to the world by taking care of our unique but fragile natural heritage and saving it for future generations.”

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