QU marks National Environment Day

The Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Qatar University (QU) celebrated Qatar Environment Day.

The programme included a series of events and activities, including seedlings distribution, with the participation of students and faculty members at QU, as well as students from a number of secondary schools in Qatar. The aim was to educate students about ecosystems, and motivate the younger generation to be more responsible for their environment and their habitats. Prof Ahmed Elzatahry, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Dr Khalifa Hazaa, associate dean for the Sciences and Applied Sciences Sector, and Prof. Mohammed Abu-Dieyeh, head of the Biological and Environmental Sciences Department were present.Lectures were given by Ahmed ElGharib from the Qur’anic Botanical Garden of Qatar Foundation, and on the initiative to plant one million trees in Qatar by Mohammed Ali al-Khoori, director of Public Parks Department at the Ministry of Municipality. All QU students were invited to participate in the two environmental competitions, one of which is about the best picture representing Qatar’s plants and the other about the best environmental article about the plants of Qatar.Prof. Dr. Abu-Dieyeh pointed out that Qatar has among its environmental treasures mangroves, three types of seagrass inhabited by more than 600 species of marine animals and about 400 species of plants that live in a difficult environment of drought, salinity and poor soil, but they resist, live and reproduce. Planting one million trees in Qatar means a lot about rehabilitating environmental habitats, reducing air pollution with dust and reducing carbon emissions, in addition to limiting soil pollution with toxic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. This is in addition to the positive psychological impact that trees give to human health and life.Dr. Abu-Dieyeh emphasized that the department will continue to cooperate with the Ministry of Municipality and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to plan several joint activities and campaigns, as well as the participation of graduate students and faculty members in biodiversity research and environmental protection and sustainability.