Qatar.. A Lush Green Oasis for Sustainable Culture

Qatar National Vision 2030

Driven by its commitment to promoting a culture of sustainability and its dedication to making the country a lush green oasis as part of its National Vision 2030, the State of Qatar has been keen on embedding green culture into the consciousness of its people, making it a lifestyle for everyone. This has been achieved through numerous governmental and non-governmental initiatives aimed at making sustainability and a green environment an integral part of the lives of both citizens and residents in Qatar.

One of the key mechanisms the State employs to enhance green culture and environmental awareness is the esteemed Cabinet's approval for all government entities and ministries to take part in marking Qatar Environment Day, which falls on Feb. 26 each year. This observance aims to highlight the importance of developing appropriate technologies to address climate change, adopting clean energy, and increasing green spaces in a region with a desert climate, which, like the rest of the world, is affected by geographical changes and climatic shifts.

The State of Qatar, represented by the Ministry of Municipality, has been keen to launch numerous national initiatives to expand green spaces in the country. Among the most significant are the "One Million Trees initiative" and the "Ten Million Trees Initiative," which aim to enhance the quality of life in cities and achieve sustainable development. These efforts have contributed to all eight Qatari municipalities accredited as healthy cities by the World Health Organization (WHO), with seven Qatari cities also joining the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities.

This commitment does not stop with initiatives alone, as various State institutions, including the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Ministry of Municipality, and all entities involved in education, culture, and the arts, actively organize events that focus on environmental education and promoting green culture. A notable example is the State of Qatar's six-month hosting of the horticultural exhibition "Expo 2023 Doha", which highlighted the latest and most important Qatari and global initiatives, innovations, and efforts in modern agriculture, urban greening, and vegetation cover.

The exhibition took place from Oct. 2, 2023, to March 28, 2024, marking the first time such an event was held in a desert climate region, under the theme "Green Desert, Better Environment." Expo 2023 Doha was based around four subthemes: Modern Agriculture, Technology and Innovation, Environmental Awareness, and Sustainability. It also aimed to enhance international cooperation on environmental, cultural, and financial issues, addressing the shared global challenge of desertification, and inviting the global horticultural sector to exchange knowledge and expertise, guiding the region towards implementing the concept of a green city.

In an exclusive statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Director of Events and Corporate Communications at Expo 2023 Doha Haifa Al Otaibi underlined that Expo 2023 Doha succeeded in instilling a green culture within the community, noting that this success is evident through various indicators, including attracting 4 million visitors and organizing over 7,000 events focused on sustainability, as well as the quality and diversity of the events that included 54 national celebrations, 124 conferences and seminars, 198 events for ministries and government agencies, 601 stage performances, and 1,727 workshops about topics such as sustainability, environmental awareness, modern agriculture, technology, and innovation in the field of agriculture, among others, which reflect the public's commitment to environmental issues.

She also noted that success was further demonstrated through collaboration with key partners to integrate sustainable practices into all Expo operations, as well as promoting innovative environmental solutions such as the use of biodegradable materials and sustainable technology in buildings and activities.

"We worked with a distinguished group of leading institutions, such as Qatar Airways Group, Hamad International Airport, Ooredoo, Qatar National Bank (QNB), Msheireb Downtown Doha, Microsoft, and Mazzraty, among others," Al Otaibi said, adding that the partners fully collaborated with Expo 2023 Doha and contributed to making it an attractive global event that highlights technological advancements and contemporary agriculture and horticulture methods.

Haifa Al Otaibi explained that the achievements and successes of the exhibition will be transformed into long-term initiatives that promote a sustainable green culture through strategic partnerships with leading institutions in their fields. "Our goal is to integrate sustainable practices into economic and social sectors, benefiting from the green innovations and technology showcased during the event," she noted.

She also emphasized the need to continue encouraging local projects and initiatives that support sustainability and green innovation, including the use of sustainable materials and renewable energy technologies, pointing out that education and awareness are fundamental pillars, and workshops, seminars, and educational programs will continue to be organized to raise awareness about the importance of sustainability and empower the next generation of leaders and innovators in this field, with the aim of building a greener and more sustainable future for the State of Qatar and the world.

She said that the upcoming vision, as part of the ongoing strategy to sustain Qatar's green culture, involves advancing and maintaining Qatar's green culture by solidifying the achievements made at Expo 2023 Doha, stressing that it is crucial to build on this success by launching new and sustainable initiatives, expanding environmental awareness programs to reach more segments of society and enhance cooperation with international partners to exchange knowledge and expertise in sustainability and green technology to ensure that Qatar remains at the forefront of environmental innovation and sustainability at the global level.

Al Otaibi also emphasised that the role expected from the State and civil society institutions in leveraging this legacy involves continuous integration and cooperation between these institutions to support and implement sustainable projects that enhance the culture of sustainability and green innovation in Qatar. This includes developing educational and awareness programs targeting all segments of society to increase awareness of the importance of sustainability and how to contribute effectively, investing in new research and technologies that support sustainability and environmental conservation, and developing smart and green cities, she added.

The Director of Events and Corporate Communications at Expo 2023 Doha underlined the importance of encouraging innovations and projects that lead to improved quality of life while preserving natural resources, and strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors to fund and implement sustainable initiatives that contribute to the development of infrastructure, sustainable agriculture, and green technology, thereby solidifying the State of Qatar's position as a model of sustainability.

The environment in Qatar has been a constant source of inspiration for creators in the fields of scientific and academic research on nature and in the field of literature and arts, where they celebrated and inspired it in their works, calling for the preservation of its natural and aesthetic elements and treasures, and contributed with their writings to spreading awareness about the environment.

Many books have addressed the promotion of environmental culture, most notably the Environment and Climate Challenges: Reality and Ambitions book by Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari, an environmental expert and engineering consultant in the office of HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, focused throughout its five chapters on the definition of the subject of the environment in science and knowledge, and provided a scientific explanation of the causes of the phenomenon of global warming and its negative effects on the planet.

Dr. Al Kuwari affirmed in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) that culture, literature, and scientific research all play an important role in establishing awareness about the environment and preserving it, appreciating the efforts of creative writers, authors, and artists in this field, as the environment was the most important source of inspiration for them.

He said that the best ways to promote and spread environmental culture lie in focusing on education and media to build a generation aware of the importance of the environment and its preservation through educational curricula, workshops, and educational seminars that clarify the negative effects of pollution and practices in dealing with nature on the present and future of the individual and society, calling on the private sector to support the state’s efforts and contribute effectively to promoting and spreading culture and awareness about the environment and adopting ambitious initiatives to preserve it.

The Qatari poet and novelist Mohammad Ibrahim Al Sada is one of the creators who drew inspiration from nature in their poetic experiences, as he employs the elements of the natural and social environment in his poems. This passion for nature and the environment has been reflected in the titles and contents of his poetry collections, such as On the Sand of the Gulf, Dunes and Waves, Watering Hole, and Letters through the Moon.

The poet also employed nature in his educational poems for children in his two collections, Hymns of the Nightingales, and Tunes of the Buds.

The poet's passion for nature and his celebration of it in his creative works extends to his narrative experience, including his novel My Boat Will Return, published by the Ministry of Culture in 2023, in which the author transports us in his narrative style to the world of the 1930s, social life, and human relations in the Qatari environment.

In a similar statement to QNA, Mohammad Ibrahim Al Sada said that artists are a product of their environment, emphasizing that he has been influenced by the Qatari environment with its dunes, sea waves, beaches, meadows, as well as its people, customs, social relations, and the heritage to which he belongs and carries the history of the ancestors. 

The Qur'anic Botanic Garden (QBG) is the first of its kind in the world to grow plants mentioned in the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet.

The garden aims to promote and disseminate knowledge of the plants, botanic terms, and conservation principles. The garden consistently promotes and consolidates the green culture in Qatari society.  

Since its launch in 2008, QBG has been instilling a green culture in Qatari society, hosting the UN campaign to plant one billion trees by planting trees in Education City in 2010. Since then, the park has launched its 'plant 2,022 trees' campaign, an initiative to promote environmental awareness and encourage tree planting.

QBG named the campaign Ghars, inspired by the Prophet’s hadith that encourages planting trees while referring to the reward for this work until the Day of Judgment.

Director of the Quranic Botanical Garden Fatima bint Saleh Al Khulaifi said in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the main objectives of the campaign were to raise awareness of the importance of trees, emphasize the need to plant them for their environmental benefits and educate the community on how to plant and care for them.

She noted that the QBG extends over a green oasis in the heart of Education City in Doha, where it contains more than 77 plant species with an area of 25,000 square meters and includes 1,700 trees and 15,000 shrubs and herbaceous plants, as this garden is the ideal choice for families and lovers of gardens and parks because of the comfortable view of the eye surrounded by the unique design of the gardens that include this green and flowering group of plants and trees.

Al Khulaifi explained that the park contains a Plant Resource Conservation Programme that includes a unique nursery that is rich in a large number of plants native to the State of Qatar, as well as ornamental plants and plants mentioned in the Holy Qur'an and the hadiths of the Prophet, noting that the park works closely in Rawdat Al Faras, where the garden was rehabilitated by planting more than 350 wild trees in it, representing an initial stage within the framework of the garden revitalization program launched by the park in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC), as it evaluates the environmental impact of replanting in terms of its impact on the vital system of the garden, stressing the park’s keenness on the participation of the community with it in planting these trees as part of the solution in reviving the Qatari ecosystems.

Fatima bint Saleh Al Khulaifi pointed out that the QBG recently launched an ambitious program to distribute more than 2.5 million trees over the next decade to improve the ecosystem and combat desertification as part of its contribution, as the State of Qatar has pledged to plant 10 million trees under the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) which is a program is part of Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030) and supports environmental sustainability by distributing local trees whose seeds have been carefully collected and planted in the garden’s nursery. 

"A Flower Each Spring" Program Instills Environmental Values in New Generations

"A Flower Every Spring" program which was launched in 1999 and was officially merged with Qur'anic Botanic Garden's (QBG) programs in 2016, aims to instill environmental values in present and future generations in appreciation of the blessings of Allah, and to achieve a sustainable environment.

Head of the "Flower Each Spring" program, Dr. Saif Ali Al Hajari, said that the program’s message is to explore the beauty of the homeland, from its enchanting natural environment to its dazzling built environment. The program works to promote positive behavior towards the natural environment among young people, and to raise awareness of the importance of preserving the environment from deterioration and desertification, in addition to developing innovative and creative capabilities in the areas of sustainable development, along with encouraging industrial and economic activities to adopt the concept of green industry.

This program has succeeded throughout its journey in changing the behavior of the youth and introducing them to their environment. A number of environmental initiatives has emerged from this program to keep pace with and provide solutions to many environmental problems, including the 'My Country's Tree' initiative, which aims at increasing the green area in the country, supporting biodiversity, raising awareness of the importance of vegetation in preserving the environment, adding joy and beauty to the Qatari environment and its cities, contributing to reducing global warming and climate change, identifying the economic and medical benefits of plants and urging their good use, in addition to introducing and localizing types of trees that are able to adapt to Qatari local environment, Al Hajari said.

Throughout the program’s journey of over 25 years, the program will remain evidence of the State of Qatar’s keenness to promote green culture in society, as embodied by the "A Flower Each Spring" program and related initiatives, events and forums accompanying the International Horticultural Exhibition "Expo 2023 Doha" which concluded last March, Al Hajari added.

Regarding the role of this program in promoting plant culture, Dr. Al Hajari said that 'A Flower Each Spring’ program continues to mobilize all efforts to enhance values that enable the achievement of sustainable development goals, noting the importance of the role of individuals affiliated with governmental, civil and private institutions, and the advancement of common concepts and the benefit of all efforts.

Al Hajari added that it was necessary to build strong programs and carry out activities capable of transforming these goals into behavior, and ensuring that wishes are embodied in the form of real results, especially those principles related to environmental issues.

Civil Society Efforts are Present in Promoting Green Culture

In addition to efforts of the government sector, the civil society's efforts clearly promote green culture, as a number of private institutions are popular in spreading environmental awareness, including the Friends of the Environment Center (FEC), which was established in 1992 and is affiliated with the Ministry of Sports and Youth.

The FEC's philosophy is based on deepening environmental awareness in the Qatari community, developing knowledge, skills and environmental behavior, instilling a sense of responsibility in individuals, deepening the sense of the importance of the environment in development, in addition to highlighting the country's efforts in preserving the environment, introducing the activities of public and private agencies directly related to the environment, working to form groups of environmental friends in clubs, schools, universities, public and private bodies, encouraging private institutions to donate to implement environmental projects to preserve the components of the environment, conducting scientific research related to environmental matters and publishing distinguished ones, and establishing an environmental information base for school students every year with the aim of spreading environmental awareness.

Another pioneering community initiative is 'Qatar e-Nature', a website and an interactive smartphone application that sheds light on the rich diversity of the environment in Qatar, with the aim of supporting the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030 in promoting sustainable development by contributing to raising environmental awareness in society.

The app and website contain detailed and documented information about birds and their sounds, plants, insects, mammals, reptiles, marine life, and nature reserves in Qatar.

Qatar Green Building Council, a member of Qatar Foundation, is a non-profit membership organization that promotes collaboration and leadership in the implementation of environmentally sustainable practices in the design and development of green buildings in Qatar.

Established in 2009, the Council aims to support the overall health and sustainability of the environment, people and economic security for generations to come.

Through the Council, Qatar has joined a network of 80 different countries that have active national green building councils under the World Green Building Council.

In order to raise awareness and knowledge of green building practices, the Council builds the capacity of professionals in this sector through continuous professional development and research.

Qatar Green Building Council projects are based on three main pillars: developing technical expertise, research and innovation, and education and training in the field of sustainability.

A group of environmental activists also established the 'Al Shabhana Association' in March 2016, with the aim of spreading awareness among the community about the need to preserve its environment.

'Al-Shabhana', a name that goes back to a tree that has become rare in Qatar, which rings the alarm bell for the need to preserve what remains of the environmental memory in the country. The association aims to save all wild plants by planting them in the Al-Faq'a Reserve, which is located in "Masra Khattaf" area in the north of the country. It was established in 1997 and works to care for wild plants, and encourage families and children to care for them in the wilderness, and plant them in wild seedlings.

(QNA)