International organisations have long been pointing out the issue of world’s oceans getting polluted.
The current condition of the ocean pollution is often called an emergency situation.
In Qatar, there are different volunteer and community groups that, either independently or in collaboration with the government departments, have been carrying out beach cleanups and awareness campaigns.
The world recently observed World Beach Cleanup Day and different activities were held in Qatar to raise awareness and to volunteer for the cleanup drivers. BigBmeetup, a community activity group formed and led by Bosco Menezes, recently organised an online awareness event highlighting significance of overall environment, clean beaches and sustainable eco-friendly lifestyle.
There were three speakers, specialising in their areas, who shed light in detail on the issues of beach cleanups, awareness drives, volunteering for cleanups and Qatar’s vision towards sustainable environment. The speakers were namely: Abdulrahman al-Muftah, sustainability specialist with Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy; Shireen Obeidat, events and marketing specialist with Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC); and Jose Saucedo, director of Doha Environmental Actions Project (DEAP) – beach cleanup volunteers group.
Bosco opened up the online discussion that included questions from the audience as well. He said that he along with different experts have regularly been organising online events since the Covid-19 broke out to raise awareness among the people regarding different issues. “We all must pay attention to climate change and make a change in our actions and thinking towards a sustainable environment both at home and at work. I was delighted to have the expert speakers,” said Bosco.
Shireen laid stress on how QGBC started Qatar Sustainability Week five years ago and how successful it has been. She also spoke about programmes of eco-schools and eco-ambassadors. “It was a pleasure to join the event to highlight the efforts of several organisations in advancing the green movement in Qatar. QGBC is proud to kick start the fifth edition of Qatar Sustainability Week that will be held from October 31 to November 7, 2020. We would like people to come together to create a movement for change.”
She added: “Individuals and corporates can match power and passion with action to make a difference. Individuals and corporates are urged to register their pledge to make changes in their offices and lifestyle for health, well-being, economy, future, and the planet we live on.”
In his talk, Abdulrahman highlighted the strategy of Supreme Committee for Legacy and Delivery dealing with different aspects related to 200 FIFA World Cup with focus on environmental issues. “Environmental pillar of the strategy is covering five different areas before, during and after the World Cup. It covers sustainable buildings, air quality, greenhouse gases emission, water reuse, and waste management.”
He further said: “It was a pleasure joining the BigBmeetup in the cleanup and sustainability session on World Beach Cleanup Day to talk about sustainability and waste management in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the efforts that the Supreme Committee had been carrying out to implement them during the tournament time. We hope that this will bring forth positive change and raise awareness to the issues that were brought up.”
Jose lauded the insight of the panellists of the event and for their efforts to help advance the green movement in Qatar. “Plastic pollution is a big problem. The whole world is trying to figure out how to fix it and it is not an exception to Qatar.” He further said: “All sectors of society need to do their part so we can win this battle. DEAP is a volunteering organisation, leading the fight against plastic pollution and the beach cleanup movement in Qatar. Formed three years ago, DEAP has so far mobilised over 10, 000 volunteers in 176 organised cleanups and have removed over 108 tonnes of trash from beaches, the sand dunes and the heritage sites in Qatar. We all have a moral responsibility to make the world a better place for our future generations.”
Abdulrahman al-Muftah, sustainability specialist, Supreme Committee for Legacy & Delivery.
