Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Announces End of Winter Camping Season on May 2

Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Announces End of Winter Camping Season on May 2

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change announced the end of the winter camping season for the year 2021/2022 on May 2. The Ministry gave the camps a deadline until May 14 to remove the camps and to provide the opportunity for those wishing to continue camping during this period on the occasion of the blessed Eid Al-Fitr holiday.

During a press conference on Monday, the Ministry praised the cooperation of camp owners during the camping season, which lasted this year for six months. The Ministry also noted the cooperation of various ministries and institutions in the country regarding procedures and requirements for maintaining security, safety and public health for all camps, which contributed to the success of this season.

Director of the Public Relations Department Farhoud Hadi Al Hajri said that the Ministry, within the framework of its keenness to develop and modernize the winter camping season in the coming years, will launch this year a questionnaire on its website in order to survey the campers opinion about the 2022 camping season, to be filled out before the process of refunding the security deposit. This is in order for the Ministry to achieve its vision and mission, adding that the results will be announced at a later date.

Within the framework of cooperation between the Ministry and scientific institutions in the country, a brief preliminary study will be conducted with Qatar University on the impact and evaluation of camps during the camping season on the environment from the social and environmental perspectives, he added.

He pointed out that the study will address the negative effects on the environment from the camping season, which include the impact on meadows, plants and wild animals, coasts and beaches, as well as the impact of camp waste and sewage on the environment during the camping season, the migration of birds, the impact of camp waste and sanitation on the environment during the camping season, and the impact of winter camping on the movement and reproduction of living creatures, especially the non-compliance with environmental requirements in this regard.

Al Hajri stated that the study includes a survey of the campers opinion about their suggestions to reduce the effects of negative practices during this season, suggesting suitable periods and areas for camping, and monitoring the publics opinions on the mechanism for selecting the current camps.

He indicated that conducting this study in cooperation with Qatar University aims to involve citizens in choosing what suits them regarding the winter camping season, as the Ministry believes in the importance of popular participation and to achieve the principle of transparency in all matters related to camping.

Regarding the efforts of the Ministry during this year's winter camping season, Assistant Director of the Department of Natural Reserves and Vice Chairman of the Winter Camping Organizing Committee Salem Hussain Al Safran said that since the start of winter camping in November, about 395 tons of waste have been removed from 1,626 camps, with 305 containers provided for this purpose, in cooperation with the Ministry of Municipality represented by the General Cleanliness Department.

He called on all camps to dismantle and remove all camps within the deadline set at the end of May 14, 2022, and cautioned that the specialized environmental teams will carry out inspections and follow-up operations after this date and take legal action against any violations. 

Source: QNA