Qatar University officials during the National Environment Day celebrations.
Doha: The Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Qatar University (QU) celebrated National Environment Day.
The celebration included a series of events and activities through the participation of QU students and faculty members, as well as students from several secondary schools in Qatar.
The celebration aimed to educate students about ecosystems, and motivate the younger generation to be more responsible for their environment and their habitats.
Prof Ahmed Elzatahry, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Khalifa Hazaa, Associate Dean for the Sciences and Applied Sciences Sector, and Prof. Mohammed Abu-Dieyeh, Head of the Biological and Environmental Sciences Department also attended the celebrations and participated in the distribution of tree seedlings.
A series of activities, including a lecture by Ahmed ElGharib from the Qur’anic Botanical Garden, and a lecture on the initiative to plant one million trees in Qatar presented by Mohammed Ali Al Khoori, Director of Public Parks Department at the Ministry of Municipality were organised
Free plant seedlings were distributed to students to participate in the plant a million trees initiative. Additionally, all QU students are invited to participate in two environmental competitions, one of which is about the best picture representing Qatar’s plants and the other about the best environmental article about the plants of Qatar.
In his speech on the sidelines of the event, Prof Ahmed Elzatahry confirmed that the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences has been celebrating this occasion on behalf of the University.
He noted that the environment and its sustainability are at the centre of the university’s academic programmes, and a major priority in scientific research.
“Environment” is considered one of the four pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030. This celebration is part of Qatar University’s long-term commitment to promoting environmental conservation and sustainability for the benefit of society.
Dr. Khalifa Hazaa, Assistant Dean for Science and Applied Sciences Sector said, QU, with its scientific and environmental research constitutes the most important tributaries to serve and preserve the environment.
For his part, Prof Dr. Mohammad Abu-Dieyeh - Head of the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences stressed the importance of this event in educating students about Qatar’s environment, and specifically about the biodiversity. Qatar is endowed with nearly 400 species of plants, which represent a natural wealth, but rather a treasure that must be preserved.
“Studying the biology, environment, and uses of these plants requires a great effort from researchers to reach their potentials and uses. Among the plants of Qatar is what lives entirely in salt water, which is the mangrove plant. It has become known the importance of this plant for fisheries and the ecosystem in general.”
There are three types of seagrasses, which are classified as flowering plants and inhabited by more than 600 species of marine animals. In the terrestrial part, there are about 400 species of plants that live in a difficult environment of drought, salinity and poor soil, but they resist, live and reproduce. Rather, they have lived these conditions for thousands of years, and they remain and represent the basis for ecosystems.
“From here, I say that it is hoarded of different genetic material that needs special care. And not only that, this genetic treasure carries on its surfaces and inside its tissues as well as in the environment surrounding the roots, another treasure of microbes with which it coexists in symbiotic relationships and that these microbes have many technological applications most important in agricultural applications.
“In the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, we have begun to investigate these microbes and investigate their various benefits,” Dr. Abu-Dieyeh said.
He added that this year’s celebration is being held in cooperation with the Qur’anic Botanical Garden of the Qatar Foundation, and with the Public Parks Department of the Ministry of Municipality. Planting one million trees in Qatar means a lot to rehabilitating environmental habitats, reducing air pollution and carbon emissions, in addition to limiting soil pollution with toxic hydrocarbons and heavy metals.
Dr. Abu-Dieyeh emphasided that the department will continue to cooperate with the Ministry of Municipality and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to plan several joint activities and campaigns related to activating the initiative to plant one million trees in Qatar as well as the participation of graduate students and faculty members in biodiversity research and environmental protection and sustainability.
