QBG, QRCS to plant 2.5mn trees in Qatar in 10 years

The Qur’anic Botanic Garden (QBG) and the Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) have signed an agreement to plant 2.5mn trees in Qatar over a period of ten years.The agreement was signed by QRCS secretary-general Ali bin Hassan al-Hammadi and QBG director Fatima al-Khulaifi, on the sidelines of a tree planting ceremony by QBG and the US embassy to celebrate Qatar-USA Year of Culture 2021 as well as to mark the World Soil Day, observed on December 5 annually.According to the MoU, QBG will donate 2.5mn trees and QRCS volunteers will plant them across Qatar over a 10-year period, as part of a wider initiative by the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organisation across the Arab world and to support Qatar’s green sustainable development. It is also in line with Qatar’s pledge to plant 10mn trees by 2030 under the Middle East Green Initiative. The MoU outlines co-operation in the fields of environmental protection, food security, and charitable work in support of Qatar National Vision 2030. The agreement will pave the way for further collaborations between QBG and QRCS in the form of seminars, workshops, training courses, and study visits. Al-Hammadi said: “One of the major challenges to humanitarian action is climate change and its impact on the environment, soil, and people. In light of Qatar's general policy to pay attention to this vital issue related to the future of humanity and protection of the planet, QRCS takes it as a top priority of its 2021-2024 strategy. QRCS integrates environmental and climate-related considerations in its humanitarian and development operations both in Qatar and beyond.”“It seeks to help vulnerable communities to have resilience to such impacts and respond to natural disasters like flooding, droughts, heatwaves, desertification, wildfire, and soil salinisation. At the same time, we work to raise awareness about the importance of environmental conservation and reduction of individual and institutional behaviours that lead to environmental degradation,” explained, al-Hammadi.He also noted that QBG and his organisation aim at mitigating the impacts of climate change through this agreement. “This is part of our mandate as humanitarian, social, and development organisations. We have agreed to work together to plant some 2.5 million trees, within the parametres of QRCS’s humanitarian mission and legal capacity,” he added.