The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) has launched the National Strategy to Combat Desertification 2025-30, as part of Qatar's efforts to protect its natural resources, enhance their sustainability, and mitigate land degradation and the impacts of drought, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy 2024-30.
The strategy aims to establish a comprehensive national framework to combat desertification and achieve land degradation neutrality by improving the efficiency of natural resource management and strengthening supportive legislation and policies, thereby contributing to the protection of ecosystems and the achievement of sustainable development.
In his remarks during the launch ceremony, HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Dr Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie affirmed that desertification and the depletion of natural resources pose escalating environmental challenges that require collective efforts both locally and globally.
He emphasised that the launch of this national strategy reflects Qatar's commitment to protecting the environment and honouring its international obligations, particularly under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
HE Dr al-Subaie said that the strategy is based on advanced scientific and technical foundations and aims to enhance the State's capacity to address the effects of drought and desertification, protect vegetation cover, and ensure biodiversity sustainability, in alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land.
He added that the strategy encompasses six key outcomes: protecting ecosystems and reducing factors contributing to desertification and drought; promoting sustainable management of natural resources; strengthening vegetation cover and rehabilitating affected environments; building capacity and supporting scientific research and innovation; developing legislation, policies, and effective governance; and enhancing community participation and national and international partnerships.
HE Dr al-Subaie noted that these pillars form the foundation for the programmes and projects that the ministry will implement in partnership with national and international entities, as well as local communities.
He added that the ministry, as the national focal point for the UNCCD, co-ordinated efforts with relevant stakeholders in the public and private sectors and civil society institutions to prepare the strategy, which includes practical programmes and projects, most notably the rehabilitation of terrestrial environments, cultivation of native plant species, establishment of nurseries for the propagation of local species, and the updating of legislation governing the use of natural resources.
HE Dr al-Subaie added that the ministry is leading the implementation of the strategy in co-operation with concerned entities through an integrated institutional and operational framework that includes regular monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, clear identification of responsibilities and authorities, and the provision of the necessary human, technical, and financial resources.
The minister further noted the activation of modern technological tools for monitoring and management to ensure the effective and sustainable execution of all programs and projects.
He called for greater collaboration among national sectors to ensure the effective implementation of the strategy and the achievement of its objectives in addressing desertification, protecting the environment, and ensuring sustainability for future generations.
Assistant Undersecretary for Protection and Natural Reserves Affairs Dr Ibrahim Abdul Latif al-Muslimani said that the launch of the strategy comes as part of the ministry's efforts to establish an integrated national approach to address desertification and related environmental challenges.
He said that the strategy represents a comprehensive framework that promotes ecosystem protection, rehabilitation of affected environments, and development and sustainability of vegetation cover, in addition to strengthening sound management of natural resources.
Dr al-Muslimani stressed the importance of raising environmental awareness across all segments of society, developing training programmes and institutional capacity-building, and promoting scientific research and innovation in the field of sustainable land management.
He pointed out that the preparation of the strategy came in response to the environmental challenges facing Qatar, including the scarcity of natural resources, fragile vegetation cover, and encroachment of sand dunes.
Adel Mohammed al-Yafei, the head of the Wildlife Development Department’s Plant Wildlife Section, said that the National Strategy to Combat Desertification, is a milestone in the ministry's record of achievements.
He said that the strategy seeks to develop early warning and environmental monitoring systems, stabilise sand dunes, mitigate the effects of climate change, and promote balanced management of water, soil, and mineral resources.
The official added that the strategy includes projects to rehabilitate affected ecosystems, improve the efficiency of agricultural land use, and enhance research and innovation through the adoption of smart agriculture technologies and the use of artificial intelligence applications in natural resource management, as well as promoting applied studies related to combating desertification.
Al-Yafei noted that the Wildlife Development Department continues to implement national programmes to combat desertification through integrated policies aimed at rehabilitating degraded rangelands, cultivating native plant species, expanding the establishment of national nurseries to propagate and preserve local flora, and enforcing ministerial decisions to curb overgrazing and combat invasive plant species that threaten local ecosystems.
He said that the department is committed to applying clear measures to protect vegetation cover and wildlife within development projects at all stages of implementation, in a way that strengthens environmental balance and supports national efforts to combat desertification and land degradation.
The launch ceremony was attended by HE the Minister of Municipality Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah al-Attiyah, HE the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Abdulaziz bin Ahmed al-Mahmoud, and Public Works Authority (Ashghal) President engineer Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Meer, along with assistant undersecretaries, senior officials from environmental, academic, and research sectors, and representatives of national institutions and the private sector.
