DOHA: Minister of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC), HE DrAbdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie, underscored Qatar's keenness and interest in the environment, raising the awareness of all those who live on its lands on the positive practices towards the environment and pursue the best environment protection methods and biodiversity conservation.
In remarks on Qatar's Environment Day, he said that this year's theme 'Our Earth Our Legacy' confirms the MoECC's vision towards the close relationship between environment and cultural and civilizational legacy that spans the generations to come, pointing out that the Cabinet approval of the MoECC's proposal for the participation of the government entities in this celebration indicates the deep interest in environment as a practical application of the Qatar National Vision 2030 that broadly sets the environmental development as its fourth pillar to achieve balance between the environmental, economic, social and human development and ensure a sustainable future for the nation.
One of the most consequential projects of MoECC is to establish the biodiversity database in Qatar in partnership with the UN Environment Programme's West Asia Office, alongside the UK-based World Conservation Monitoring Centre (international partner), he said. The project primarily aims to establish sustainable data that safeguards biodiversity information, drafting environmental maps for the ecosystem to identify the critical sites of biodiversity in Qatar. The project includes an electronic platform of the data related to biodiversity within the Qatar Digital Government Strategy 2023 - 2025.
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change noted the participation of MoECC in the United Nations Climate Conference (COP28), held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates last year, during which the ministry proposed the establishment of the Global Dryland Alliance (GDA), one of the global mechanisms that aim to address climate change and achieve food security, emphasizing that the issue of climate change is not a purely local affair, but requires regional and global synergistic efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the global environmental challenges.
He highlighted that the ministry is poised to participate in the upcoming COP29 in the Republic of Azerbaijan, adding that Qatar's National Environment and Climate Change Strategy has determined five priorities, chiefly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, preserving biodiversity, providing sustainable management of water resources, adopting a circular economy to optimize economic flexibility, as well as ensuring optimal utilization of natural resources.
He pointed out that the strategy is inspired by the Qatar National Vision 2030 to achieve sustainable development, emphasizing that the ministry discharges its duties to conserve the environment in collaboration with all state authorities and ministries, prioritizing the achievement of safety and well-being of all those who live on the land of Qatar.
