The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC) on Tuesday organized a workshop titled 'Activating the National Program for Effective Management of Protected Areas in the State of Qatar', in cooperation with the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science and the UNESCO Office for the Gulf States and Yemen. Attended by several national and international officials and experts as well as representatives from government agencies, academic institutions and civil society organizations, the two-day workshop is part of the country's efforts to develop protected area management and align with international environmental obligations. Director of Natural Reserves Department at the MECC, Saleh Hassan Al Kuwari, highlighted the workshop as an important milestone in Qatar's journey towards achieving environmental sustainability and strengthening the national commitment to the Kunming-Montreal 2022 Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to protect 30 percent of the world's land and water by 2030. The workshop, he added, represents a strategic platform for developing effective tools for integrated management of reserves and building an institutional system that ensures continuity and efficiency, based on Qatar National Vision 2030, which balances development requirements with the conservation of natural resources. He pointed out that the workshop discussed several topics, including biodiversity in the country and the reality of protected areas in terms of achievements, challenges, and opportunities. It also reviewed the strategies and tools adopted for planning and managing these areas, emphasizing the importance of translating the workshop's outcomes into realistic implementation plans within specific timeframes. Assistant Director of Natural Reserves Department Nawaf Jabr Al Nuaimi noted the State of Qatar's success in expanding the scope of natural reserves to include 25.5 percent of the land area and 2.28 percent of the marine area, equivalent to approximately 29 percent of the country's total area. These reserves include sites of environmental and cultural significance, such as Khor Al Adaid, Al Reem Reserve, Khor Al Thakhira, and Al Shahaniya Wildlife Breeding Center. He added that these achievements face challenges, including development pressures, unregulated human and tourism activities, and the repercussions of climate change. However, they are also coupled with promising opportunities in the fields of ecotourism and sustainable resource use, with the participation of local communities and the private sector. He explained that the workshop aimed to discuss these challenges and explore practical solutions by assessing the status of the protected area network, measuring the effectiveness of its management, exploring opportunities for international recognition, and developing sustainable financing mechanisms, in preparation for developing a general framework for a national action plan for the effective management of protected areas. This workshop complements the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change's efforts to develop reserves management. Previously, the Ministry launched a program to evaluate the administrative effectiveness of protected areas in numerous locations, including Al Dhakira, Khor Al Adaid, Sani', Umm Al Amad, Laareeq, and Al Riffa. The program aims to ensure their compliance with international standards adopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The program seeks to develop a transitional strategy, extending from 2025 to 2028, that includes identifying intervention priorities and administrative planning and building the capacity of the national team through practical training and specialized technical workshops to enhance the readiness of national cadres in the fields of environmental planning and management.
