National programme to conserve Qatar’s coastal ecosystems announced
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC), Qatar University (QU)’s Environmental Science Centre, and Qatar Foundation (QF)’s Earthna Centre for a Sustainable Future have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on a national programme to conserve and restore Qatar’s coastal ecosystems.
The event was held yesterday on the sidelines of a Doha ceremony to officially name MSC Cruises’s first LNGpropelled cruise ship, MSC World Europa, which is designed to set a new standard for sustainability in the cruise industry.
During the ceremony, the MSC Foundation of the MSC Group announced its intention to collaborate with the QF and support the national conservation and restoration programme with grant funding.
The multi-year programme aims to work on the synergistic power of three ecosystems – mangrove forests, seagrass, and coral.
It will seek to conserve, restore, and nurture Qatar’s mangrove forests, which support marine biodiversity and fisheries; provide protection against coastal erosion; open up opportunities for ecotourism; and support development through a building-with-nature approach.
“Mangrove forests, seagrasses, and coral reefs respond to active stewardship,” said QF Vice-Chairperson and Chief Executive HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani. “With this programme, we hope to identify, implement, and scale approaches for the conservation and restoration of our coastal environment and ecosystem so that we may ensure an immensely valuable element of our country’s environment and character is restored for current and future generations.”
“This national programme to conserve and restore Qatar’s coastal ecosystems is important in maintaining ecological balance and rehabilitating sensitive ecological ecosystems that have been threatened by human and industrial activities,” said HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Sheikh Dr Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali al-Thani.
He explained that the MoECC places the cultivation of trees in Qatar, including mangroves, among its priorities, and over recent years it has succeeded in doubling the areas of mangrove trees on Qatar’s northeastern coast.
“The ongoing research at Qatar University in environmental conservation and sustainability, which echoes the vision of Qatar as a whole, aims to preserve the environmental heritage and protect natural resources, for present and future generations,” said QU president Dr Hassan al-Derham.
With MSC Cruises supporting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 through providing cruise ship accommodation for supporters, the MSC Foundation’s support for the national marine restoration programme will contribute to the legacy that the tournament aims to create.
Pierfrancesco Vago, chair of the MSC Foundation Executive Committee and executive chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, said: “This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to caring for our Blue Planet.”
“Bringing specialists to work in a synergistic power of three ecosystems together, taking a holistic approach to conserving and restoring mangroves, seagrass, and coral reefs, combines all three interconnected systems to support marine biodiversity,” the official added.