By Salman Siddiqui/Staff Reporter
Qatar needs to leave its mangroves alone and further develop them by planting new seeds, a Qatar University professor said yesterday. Dr Ajmal Khan, who is the Qatar Shell Professorial Chair in Sustainable Development and Professor at the Department of International Affairs, said that mangroves are a precious asset for a country like Qatar and everything must be done to preserve it.
He was addressing participants of the ‘Mangrove Restoration Campaign’ that was launched yesterday by the university students and staff.
At the moment, the biggest threat to mangroves all over the world, including Qatar, is from developers, who want to eat up the shorelines.
The professor explained that mangroves comprised of species of plants that could withstand the harsh weather conditions in Qatar.
Mangroves and salt marshes are uniquely adapted to the Gulf’s saline seas, high winds, and infrequent rainfall; and they provide a haven for birds, fish and other animals. Also, mangroves are known to be very good at sequestering carbon. According to studies, they could store five to eight times more carbon than tropical forests.
The mangrove forest’s complex root systems anchor the plants into underwater sediment, slowing down incoming tidal waters and allowing organic and inorganic material to settle into the sediment surface.
“The mangroves act as a buffer between the land and sea, protecting us from cyclones and typhoons,” Khan said.
Qatar University students and staff launched their ‘Mangrove Restoration Campaign’ yesterday by planting mangrove seeds on the outskirts of Al Dhakira near the Purple Island.
Many students and faculty members volunteered to go to the mangroves from their university and planted the seeds themselves. Experts such as Khan and Professor Dr Samir Mohamed Jaoua helped the students plant the mangrove seeds, some of whom were planting a seed for the very first time in their lives.
Student Muhsin Karagulle said that he was proud to be part of this initiative to save the environment. “The students took this initiative on their own with the guidance of their teachers, who inspired and helped them all the way. It really feels great to be part of this noble effort,” he said.
Earlier, Dr. Eiman Mustafawi, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Qatar University, also spoke on the importance of conserving the environment and lauded the students and the faculty for coming up with their own initiative.
Ministry of Environment’s Khalid al-Enzi also said that Qatar was very serious about developing and conserving its mangrove forests.
Professors Dr Khan and Dr Jaoua demonstrate to students how to correctly plant the seeds.
