Biodiversity Preservation and Environmental Sustainability: Qatar’s Initiatives Spotlighted at Expo 2023 Doha Workshop.

The Minister of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) joined in on a workshop organized at the International Horticultural Expo 2023 Doha by the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The event, themed “Balancing Life Through Harmony with Nature and Protecting It” in celebration of GCC Biodiversity Day. Qatar’s environmental protection and biodiversity preservation efforts were discussed in detail during this workshop, emphasizing the significance of laws and legislation in fostering a healthy environment, minimising pollution, and upholding natural balance.

Mr. Mohammed Ahmed Al Khanki, Director of Wildlife Development at MoECC, expressed his gratitude for the GCC’s coordination of GCC Biodiversity Day 2023 within Expo 2023 Doha. He underscored the vital role of environmental development, conservation, and biodiversity in Qatar’s National Vision 2023. The establishment of MoECC in 2022 reflects the country’s commitment to environmental protection and sustainability.

Mr. Al Khanji noted Qatar’s rich biological diversity, including unique vegetation, wildlife, and marine organisms. Legal initiatives aimed at safeguarding and enhancing biodiversity were discussed, with a focus on maintaining the diversity of the Qatari environment. Programs like the conservation of lizard biodiversity and breeding initiatives for endangered animals, such as the Arabian oryx and gazelles, were emphasized.

Efforts to protect sea turtles along Qatar’s coast since 2002, the impact study leading to the extension of the camel grazing ban on natural vegetation, Qatar’s achievements in mangrove propagation since 1982, including studies on mangrove tree clusters and conservation of natural mangrove trees in Al Khor and Al Thakhira were all deliberated. Mr. Al Khanji elaborated on initiatives such as shark whale and dugong monitoring, and a national program for coasted ecosystem rehabilitation in collaboration with Qatar University and Qatar Foundation since 2022.

Holding such a workshop at Expo 2023 Doha, an exhibition aimed at pushing the sustainability and biodiversity conservation agenda, is going to amplify the broader mission of Expo 2023 Doha while advancing the objectives of the workshop.