Qatar's Biodiversity Database Platform to be established in 2024

Qatar Mangroves

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) is in the concluding phase of a project to develop Qatar's biodiversity database platform. 

The project's objectives include constructing a sustainable biodiversity database, generating environmental maps to pinpoint vital biodiversity sites in the country, and establishing an electronic platform housing information on all registered plant and animal species, aligning with the Qatar Digital Government Strategy 2023-2025. 

Over the past three days, the MoECC, in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme’s Regional Office for West Asia (UNEP) and the World Conservation Monitoring Center, conducted a series of meetings and coordination sessions addressing the final stages of the biodiversity database project. 

The discussions involved the project's responsible teams and electronic knowledge management platform, reviewing the timeline for completing the database, with the scheduled launch expected this year.

They also assessed the completed phases and unveiled the initial design of the electronic platform, adhering to international standards. This design encompasses a comprehensive list of all registered plant and animal species in Qatar, serving as a reference to facilitate the preservation of local living species. On January 29, the first meeting, held at the MoECC headquarters, featured a presentation on the project's latest phases, attended by key figures such as Dr. Ibrahim Abdul Latif Al Muslimani, Assistant Undersecretary for Protection and Natural Reserves Affairs; Muhammad Ahmed Al Khanji, Director of the Wildlife Development Department; and Jassim Mohammed Lari, Head of the Marine Wildlife Department.

The project teams from MoECC and UNEP discussed the work plan and future steps to address existing challenges in completing the remaining stages during these meetings. The second meeting, held at Qatar University's Environmental Science Center, focused on marine biodiversity surveys in the country.

The initial workshop on January 30 included a detailed presentation by the World Conservation Monitoring Center team on the electronic platform, explaining the modern technology used in its design. This technology aims to facilitate user operations with advanced features and contribute to an initial assessment to identify research user needs and review the database.

A training workshop on January 31 provided advanced technological training to the project team, including the technical team at MoECC. After the official launch of the project later this year, the team will manage the content of the knowledge management platform in collaboration with the ministry’s communications teams.

The project, initiated in 2021, is dedicated to establishing a biodiversity database in Qatar. Its purpose is to create a database for biodiversity preservation in the country and utilize it for generating reports related to biodiversity, monitoring, and decision-making.

Source: The Peninsula