Qatar University (QU) and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) signed agreement of cooperation in the field of environmental research and projects, within the framework of their efforts to enhance cooperation between them to serve the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030, especially with regard to environmental sustainability The agreement , which was signed in the presence of HE Minister of Environment and Climate Change Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser Al-Thani and President of QU, Dr. Hassan Al Derham, aims to support cooperation and strengthen partnership between the two parties, in addition to exchanging scientific and research opportunities and benefiting from all available capabilities to support efforts in the field of climate change and other fields related to the environment in order to achieve common goals.
In his statement, following the signing of the agreement, Assistant Undersecretary for Protection and Natural Reserves Affairs at the MOECC, Dr. Ibrahim Abdullatif Al Maslamani and QU’s Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, Prof. Mariam Al Maadeed stated that this agreement is an extension of cooperation between the two sides in common fields, especially with regard to environmental sustainability.
Al Maslamani noted that the Ministry is working to benefit from the scientific expertise of the University, which will enable MOECC decision-makers to take appropriate evidence-based decisions. This cooperation is one way of implementing the national strategy where it concerns environmental sustainability, he explained.
He says, “I am confident that the work that Qatar University carries out will cover the three areas of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, which includes protection of natural reserves, protecting the environment, and the field of climate change and sustainability, which includes ensuring capacity building through training.” Dr. Al Maslamani stressed that this cooperation is a continuation of the previous cooperation between the university and the ministry, as this cooperation was preceded by research in various areas, the most important of which is studying the impact of the camping season socially and environmentally in the country.
In turn, Dr. Mariam Al Maadeed noted that QU looks forward to cooperation with various institutions and bodies in the country to achieve the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, with the aim of tackling various environmental challenges. She added that the cooperation with the Ministry of Environment is not the first between both parties, but rather a continued alliance to enhance joint work in many fields for the exchange of information and experience. In the field of environmental issues, she says, QU is an incubator for expertise, programs and disciplines.
The agreement covers areas of common interest such as: Biodiversity and wildlife and their environmental status; management, development and rehabilitation of natural reserves; the impact of hunting operations on the environment and fungal organisms inside and outside natural reserves; the state of the environment, air quality, soil quality, water quality, noise, chemicals and hazardous waste; social and economic impacts resulting from human activity; studies in the field of climate change, and others.
The agreement includes cooperation in the field of exchanging experiences in various fields, including statistics and data, as well as holding meetings and trainings between experts and specialists, forming working committees to develop joint plans, and holding consultative meetings.
Source: Qatar News Agency