Director of the Wildlife Development Department at the MECC Yousef Ibrahim Al Hamar addressing the seminar.
Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change organised a seminar on ‘Protection and Afforestation of Coastal Areas with Mangrove Trees in Qatar: The First Symposium in a Series Towards an Applicable Action Plan’.
The event was held in cooperation with Earthna—Center for a Sustainable Future and the Environmental Science Center at Qatar University with the participation of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Thailand.
This symposium comes within a series of scientific events aimed at enhancing environmental sustainability and protecting biodiversity in the State of Qatar.
Addressing the event, Yousef Ibrahim Al Hamar, Director of the Wildlife Development Department at the MECC, stressed that Qatar is making great efforts to protect and rehabilitate coastal ecosystems, with a focus on mangrove trees, which are an essential part of supporting biodiversity, protecting coasts and enhancing environmental sustainability.
He pointed out that the Ministry in cooperation with Earthna and Environmental Science Center at Qatar University a joint national programme to protect and rehabilitate coastal areas, including mangroves, seagrasses, and coral reefs, with the support of the Mediterranean Shipping Company Foundation.
Al Hamar explained that the Ministry has established a specialised nursery to propagate mangrove trees, where more than 15,000 mangrove seedlings have been planted, in addition to implementing scientific studies in cooperation with research and academic institutions to monitor and evaluate the ideal environments for replanting them.
The Ministry also launched an awareness campaign that included field visits for school students to enhance environmental awareness of the importance of these trees in preserving marine biodiversity.
Al Hamar pointed out that the ministry is working with the West Asia Office of the United Nations Environment Program to implement a biodiversity database that includes updated maps of mangroves in the country, in addition to a plan to protect them.
For his part, Dr. Radhouan Ben-Hamadou, Director of the Research and Policy Department at the Earthna Center, delivered a welcoming speech to the participants in the symposium. Ambassador of Thailand to Qatar,
H E Sira Swangsilpa gave a presentation on biodiversity in Thailand, including proposals for cooperation between the two countries in this field.
