Natalie Baker, Chargé d’Affaires at US Embassy in Qatar, and other officials planting a tree under QBG’s ‘Ghars’ campaign, marking campaign’s 2000th tree, at Qur’anic Botanic Garden.
The Qur’anic Botanic Garden (QBG) of Qatar Foundation has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) to plant 2.5 million trees across Qatar in 10 years.
The signing ceremony was held on the sideline of a tree-planting ceremony at QBG’s premises which coincided with World Soil Day. QBG, the first garden in the world to exhibit all plant species mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, Hadith, and Sunnah, celebrated the Year of Culture Qatar – USA 2021 with a tree-planting ceremony at QBG’s premises.
In the presence of Assistant Undersecretary for Environmental Affairs at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Eng. Hassan Jumaa Bu Jamhour Al Mohannadi and as part of the event and QBG’s ‘Ghars’ campaign, which aims to plant 2,022 trees in the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup 2022, Chargé d’Affaires, US Embassy in Qatar, Natalie Baker, together with Director, QBG, Fatima Al Khulaifi, planted the campaign’s 2000th tree.
Natalie Baker said: “At the US Embassy in Doha sustainability is not simply an offshoot of our work; it is our work. We consistently look for new and innovative ways to prioritise sustainability efforts — everything from clean energy deployment, to supporting carbon neutrality and water conservation — we are committed to doing right by the environment.
Director, QBG, Fatima Al Khulaifi, and Secretary-General, QRCS, Ali bin Hassan Al Hammadi, at the MoU signing ceremony at QBG premises.
“Our local eco-diplomacy initiatives here in Qatar align with the United States’ global mission to protect our planet for current and future generations and is our motivation for gathering here today with our Qatari partners and friends.”
Fatima Al Khulaifi said: “Since its establishment over a decade ago, QBG has enjoyed excellent ties with Doha’s diplomatic community and the country’s humanitarian and environmental stakeholders. Today’s event is a further testament to that. Over the years, we have hosted numerous tree-planting ceremonies and initiatives with embassies, including those of the UK, Switzerland, Turkey, India, and South Africa, as well as educational institutions and community organisations.
“Over the past 11 months, and as part of the Year of Culture Qatar – USA 2021, Qatar Foundation’s QBG has also hosted multiple engagements and events with prominent US environmental stakeholders.” she said.
QBG signed an MoU with QRCS with a pledge to donate 2.5 million trees, which the latter’s volunteers will plant across Qatar over a 10-year period, as part of a wider initiative by the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization across the Arab world, in a bid to support Qatar’s green sustainable development.
It is also in line with Qatar’s pledge to plant 10 million trees by 2030 under the Middle East Green Initiative.
The MoU outlines cooperation in the fields of environmental protection, food security, and charitable work in support of Qatar National Vision 2030. The agreement will pave the way for further collaborations between QBG and QRCS in the form of seminars, workshops, training courses, and study visits.
Secretary-General, QRCS, Ali bin Hassan Al Hammadi, said: “This agreement aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change, as part of our mandates as humanitarian, social, and development organisations. We agreed to work together over the period 2022-2030 to plant some 2.5 million trees, within the parameters of QRCS’s humanitarian mission and legal capacity as auxiliary to the State of Qatar.”
