The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) recently launched its sectoral strategy for 2024-2030, under the theme Together towards a sustainable environment for a better future, as part of the third National Development Strategy, which represents the final phase of the Qatar National Vision 2030, where environmental development has been made one of its four pillars.
Comprising the pillars of environment, sustainability and adaptation to climate changes, research and innovation, digital transformation, governance, as well as sustainable institutional development, the strategy represents a pivotal step toward achieving Qatar’s aspirations based on a whole-of-government approach, pertaining to securing the sustainability of economic and social growth.
The Qatar National Vision 2030 emphasised that the intended sustainability cannot be achieved without an overarching environmental vision toward striking a balance between the development needs and conservation of natural resources whether on land, sea or air.
The director of the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies’s Economic Studies Unit, Dr Hazim Rahahleh, said that by launching the strategy for environmental protection and addressing climate challenges for 2024-30, Qatar reiterates its commitment and response to the evolving global issues and challenges, affirming that the strategy falls within the development and humanitarian role the country is performing at regional and global levels.
Researcher in the fields of food security and social and economic development at Qatar University’s Gulf Studies Centre, Farah al-Qawasmi, stated that the strategy launched by the MoECC for 2024-30 underscores that Qatar has adopted a whole-of-government approach in addressing climate change challenges and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The targets of the MoECC strategy include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030, restoring 30% of environmentally impacted natural resources, protecting 30% of island and coastal areas, as well as preserving 17 species of endemic and endangered species.
Associate professor of applied geography and geographic information systems (GIS) at Qatar University (QU), Dr Ammar Abulibdeh, said that Qatar, despite being an oil producer and one of the largest gas producers in the world, is striving to diversify energy sources and rely on renewable energy sources.
Associate professor of GIS and remote sensing in the Applied Geography Programme at the QU, Dr Rana N Jawarneh, said that Qatar has many ambitious goals in terms of protecting the environment and adapting to climate challenges, which are evident in the many policies and plans made, as well as pioneering projects on the ground.
