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QNA
Doha
Qatar, under the wise leadership of the Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, pays great attention to the protection of environment that effectively translated into Qatar National Vision 2030, with its fourth pillar focused on environmental development and environmental conservation for future generations, Minister of Municipality and Environment HE Mohammed bin Abdullah al Rumaihi has said.
This is outlined in the minister's speech on the occasion of the World Environment Day, which is marked on June 5 each year, with the theme of 'Beat Plastic Pollution'.
"Qatar's participation in the celebration aims at raising awareness among the public about the importance of environment and the need to work hard to reduce pollution, to which all ministries, institutions, companies and individuals are contributing in order to create a significant positive impact on the planet. Qatar National Vision stresses the importance of raising citizens' awareness about their role in protecting the country's environment, in the interest of the health and safety of their children and for future generations of Qatar," Rumaihi said.
"The theme of this year's celebration aims to raise awareness about the dangers of single-use plastic bags and need to find safer alternatives for health and the environment," the minister said, calling for work to reduce the heavy burden of plastic pollution on natural places and to draw attention to the extent of the devastating risks posed by plastic materials to the marine ecosystem.
On this occasion, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) strongly supports waste recycling projects and encourages the use of paper bags instead of plastics, the minister said, adding the ministry implemented in the past years several educational and awareness programmes on recycling, targeting school students in order to have a generation conscious of the importance of preserving of the environment.
"Qatar is making great efforts locally, regionally and internationally in the field of environmental protection and global climate change. It also hosted the 18th Conference of Parties (COP-18) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the end of 2012," he said, pointing out that one of the important steps taken by Qatar, represented by the ministry, is the establishment of a specialised department for climate change. The department aims to raise awareness of environmental protection in the face of climate change and encourage individuals and institutions to contribute to facing the greatest threat to the environment which is the effects of climate change on our planet, and the reduction of carbon emissions that is extremely damaging the environment and human life.
Assistant Undersecretary for Environmental Affairs at MME Engineer Ahmed Mohammed al Sada said that the United Nations uses this day as a global platform for public awareness, adding this event is widely celebrated in more than 100 countries for a less polluted world by focusing on one of the major environmental challenges in our contemporary life.
