(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Sanaullah Ataullah |
The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC), in cooperation with the Geographic Information Systems Center at the Ministry of Municipality, has launched a digital geographic database project for meadows.
The data for all 1,273 meadows in Qatar were scanned and uploaded to the database.
The meadow inventory was carried out based on an inventory form that includes specific data, including the location and area of the meadow, the types of trees and plants growing in it, in addition to the type of threat it faces.
This project is an important step towards enhancing the preservation of the country's rich plant diversity, protecting vegetation and combating the phenomenon of desertification.
The project aims to collect and classify data related to meadows and know the plant diversity in each meadow, and provide a central platform for exchanging information between the parties concerned through its availability on the national network of geographical information systems.
The efforts made to protect the meadows were completed through a working team to develop a mechanism for constructing roads in wild areas and outside the city limits, which was formed by Ministerial Resolution No. 1 of 2023, headed by the Wildlife Development Department, and membership of the Planning Sector, the Ministry of Transport, and the Public Works Authority (Ashghal).
Its priorities were to protect meadows and vegetation from infrastructure and road projects, limit encroachments in these areas, and update its database and place it on the electronic urban planning system through which the external borders of all the meadows were represented.
The work is underway to classify the meadows and divide them according to their growth areas and the degrees of threat they are exposed to.
The digital geographic database for meadows is a valuable source of scientific knowledge and environmental planning. It will contribute to identifying areas of environmental and heritage importance, and enhancing efforts to preserve rare and endangered plant species.
In addition, it will help guide rehabilitation, wild farming and biodiversity protection efforts to maintain the sustainable development of Qatar's plant environment.
The database also enables government agencies, researchers, and those interested in preserving the environment to access comprehensive and updated information about the meadows and the types of plants that grow in them.
It will contribute to enhancing environmental awareness and encouraging cooperation between the parties concerned to protect vegetation and develop wildlife in the country by studying the state of vegetation cover and identifying sites of deterioration after linking with the rest of the digital maps in the country.
MENAFN15032024000063011010ID1107980733
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.