Minister of Municipality launches Integrated National Solid Waste Management Programme

* 18R initiative highlighted at conference

* Cartoon character Nasooh to help raise awareness

 

 

 

 

 

HE the Minister of Municipality Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie on Monday announced the launch of the Integrated National Solid Waste Management Programme at the opening of the second Waste Management Conference and Exhibition 2022, in the presence of HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Sheikh Dr Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali al-Thani.The two-day event has been organised by the Ministry of Municipality.In his opening speech, HE the Minister of Municipality stressed that the organisation of the second Waste Management Conference and Exhibition comes within the framework of the great importance that Qatar attaches to the issue of reduction, waste management and recycling of waste, in order to be a multi-use source for a number of products, industries and various businesses that serve the economy and contribute to the preservation of the Qatari environment.HE al-Subaie also stressed that the exhibition comes within the context of the implementation of the sustainable strategy of the Ministry of Municipality and within the integrated plan for waste management, in addition to developing policies and legislation that support waste reduction and national awareness programmes and campaigns.He said the Ministry of Municipality has developed a comprehensive strategy to deal with all types of waste and also adopted a comprehensive plan through the development of an integrated national programme for solid waste management. It is aimed at creating an integrated infrastructure to manage solid waste activities, reducing the volume of waste, and strengthening the partnership with the private sector to invest in the solid waste management sector, as well as raising and consolidating public awareness regarding waste reduction and the importance of recycling.HE the Minister noted that to achieve these goals, a team was formed to reach the best possible results for this programme. International companies specialised in this field were also hired to support the team to implement the desired goals to preserve environmental safety and achieve sustainable development in order to find the best solutions and use modern technology to keep pace with the population growth and the urban and economic development witnessed by Qatar, he added.The second Waste Management Conference and Exhibition constitutes an important international platform to attract governmental and semi-governmental institutions, the private sector and local factories to communicate and exchange ideas and knowledge about waste management, treatment and recycling.On the first day of the conference, the ministry launched a number of private and modern initiatives, directed at multiple sectors in the country, in addition to supporting the idea of community participation to preserve the environment, and encouraging investment in this field. Director of Waste Recycling and Treatment Department at the Ministry of Municipality, Hamad Jassim al-Bahr, said during a press conference that the conference is witnessing the launch of many initiatives, such as the 18R initiative, that is related to recycling, research and others, in addition to the launch of the cartoon character Nasooh, which aims to raise awareness among various parties.Through the cartoon character, a number of messages related to recycling and sorting from the source will be conveyed, al-Bahr said, noting that the ministry is working on building an engineered landfill and the tender has been launched for this purpose.Secretary-general of the International Horticultural Expo 2023 Doha and director of the Public Parks Department at the Ministry of Municipality, Mohamed Ali al-Khouri, said participating in such conferences aims to promote values that encourage sustainability and preservation of the environment, which is a fundamental pillar of Qatar National Vision 2030, and noted that the Expo team is working to support such initiatives.Doha Expo preparations are progressing, as 23 countries have so far agreed to participate in the event, he said, expressing aspiration for the participation of 80 countries.He explained that Doha Expo will be held from October 2023 to March 2024 and will be the most prominent event following the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.The Expo will provide a framework for discussing a set of ideas, studies and researches related to agriculture in Qatar and desert countries, and the equation is how to green cities and plant in desert areas by making use of existing resources and reducing their consumption, he added.