Hassan Jumaa Bu Jamhour al-Mohannadi, assistant undersecretary for Environmental Affairs at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC), has said the ministry is in the process of reviewing and amending the current environmental law to tighten penalties for some environmental violations.
The goal of toughening sanctions is in line with the new strategy for the environment and climate change, with an emphasis on the need to preserve the Qatari environment and natural resources and deter the perpetrators of environmental abuse, al-Mohannadi told local Arabic daily 'Arrayah'.
He pointed out that the strengthening of sanctions will include all violations that affect the environment, and these will not be limited to a specific type of environmental violation. There will be no complacency in addressing environmental violations, he added. The official noted that the presence of an environment prosecution alongside the MoECC is evidence of the great interest the State attaches to the issue of preserving the environment. He pointed out that the presence of a specialised environment prosecution will help speed up the process of taking action in case of environmental violations.
He explained that the camping season helps raise the level of an environmental culture and awareness, especially among young people, as they get a lot of information about the Qatari environment, the local trees and plants and the importance of preserving them. Stressing that violations seen during the camping season so far this year are the lowest compared to previous seasons. This is the outcome of spreading awareness among citizens on the importance of preserving the environment.
With regard to Qatar's strategy for the environment and climate change, al-Mohannadi said the strategy was prepared in the spirit of co-operation, solidarity and perseverance. Some 20 representatives from different ministries participated in it, and studies and benchmarking comparisons were conducted that included about 30 countries. It also witnessed the assistance of more than 50 experts, specialists, intellectuals and scientists worldwide.
He noted that the strategy has five key environmental priority areas: greenhouse gas emissions and air quality; biodiversity; water; circular economy and waste management; and land use. For the first pillar, co-operation at the global and regional levels will constitute an essential step to reduce emissions, he said. In this context, Qatar has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030."To achieve this goal, we will adopt low-carbon technologies and solutions based on natural resources," he added.“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will lead to many benefits, most notably improving air quality.”
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