The regional training programme on biosphere reserves and the “Man and the Biosphere programme” of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) started yesterday in Doha with participation of GCC delegations.
Inaugurating the programme, Ahmed Mohammed al-Sada, assistant undersecretary for environment affairs at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, said it will help in preparing a comprehensive administrative plan for Al Reem Biosphere Reserve.
The programme is a joint cooperation between the ministry’s natural reserves department and the Unesco office in Doha.
He said that the participation of a number of specialists reflects the growing attention paid to the planning and management of reserves, stressing that the main pillar of the programme is to review Qatar’s experiment in the ‘Man and the Biosphere Programme’ and discuss the lessons learned from the Qatari experience since Al Reem Reserve was declared a biosphere reserve.
“The programme aims to enhance the regional role in terms of exchanging knowledge and expertise on the regional experiences of the Man and the Biosphere Programme,” Al Sada said, expressing hope that such efforts will culminate in outputs that reflect the relevant priorities of the planning and management of domestic areas at the regional level and address the international terms adopted by Unesco.
For her part, Anna Paolini, director, Unesco office in Doha, expressed gratitude to Qatar’s efforts in this regard, praising the Qatari experience in drafting the comprehensive plan for the biosphere reserve.