First Earthna Summit seeks climate keys

Qatar Foundation (QF) Chairperson Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser attended on Wednesday the opening of the inaugural Earthna Summit 2023 which focuses on hot and arid environments and blending today’s expertise with indigenous knowledge to identify climate solutions.
Speakers at the summit, hosted by QF’s Earthna Centre for a Sustainable Future, included world renowned primatologist and anthropologist Dr Jane Goodall, QF Vice Chairperson and CEO HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Sheikh Dr Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali al-Thani, Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema, Sierra Leone President Dr Julius Maada, and Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland.
Dr Goodall closed the first day of the summit with a discussion about biodiversity, ecosystems and values. The two-day summit is taking place at Msheireb Downtown Doha.
Addressing the opening ceremony, HE Sheikha Hind, said: “At this inaugural Earthna Summit, we have deliberately placed a significant emphasis on exploring indigenous practices, in search of the fountains of accumulated wisdom tucked away in ordinary places. The purpose of seeking out indigenous wisdom is for us to discern and choose wisely that which resonates in our local environment, so that we may adopt simple whole solutions instead of complicating things. And so that, when we adopt new policies, we can attack the root causes of our modern issues, instead of getting lost in the branches.”
HE Sheikh Dr Faleh noted that the Earthna Summit 2023 will provide an opportunity to build a community of environmental stakeholders that will contribute to shaping the future of sustainability in hot and dry regions.
“The Summit provides us with a platform to highlight hot and dry countries that are often absent from global discussions related to climate change. It will also focus on the unique challenges faced by these countries with difficult weather conditions. And these are the challenges that Qatar is committed to addressing, and sharing the best solutions and practices on how to overcome them with neighbouring countries and other countries of the world,” explained the minister.
The theme of the summit, 'Building New Sustainability Pathways for Hot and Arid Environments', brings together sustainability experts and policymakers including indigenous peoples to learn from each other and exchange knowledge. The event aims to renew focus on examining ancestral solutions to climate challenges and how these may support current plans for advancing sustainability.
The Earthna Summit aims to make hot and arid environments – such as Qatar’s – more prominent in the global conversation by highlighting the critical adaptation needs of countries with such climates, and exploring options as the world moves towards energy transition.
Earthna is hosting a variety of sessions, workshops and panel discussions based on themes of food and security adaptation; climate change and energy transition; resilient cities; and biodiversity.
Throughout the summit, members of the public can visit the ‘Earthna Village’ at Barahat Msheireb, a sustainability-focused exhibition showcasing indigenous and sustainable practices. The agora section of the Earthna Village is hosting practitioners for short, interactive discussions with the audience about their exhibits.