By Sidi Mohamed
Doha: The Minister of Environment H E Ahmed bin Amer Al Humaidi said that sustainable development is one of the biggest challeges the international community is facing, particularly in the light of climate change.
Speaking at a forum on climate change organised by the Ministry of Environment at Sheraton Doha, the minister said that climate change, in addition to its environmental impact, has economic and social impacts as well. He added that Qatar National Vision 2030, established by the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, focused on the issue of climate change.
The aim of the forum is to increase awareness about climate change issues and their impact on natural and economic activities resources in the state.
The forum held with the participation of nearly 60 specialists from different bodies in the country including government bodies, research centres, local universities, private sector companies, professional associations and large industrial facilities.
“The challenges and risks facing the international community because of climate change, raise many problems that are intertwined in economic, environmental and social dimensions, and receive the implications affecting all aspects of life in the developed and developing countries, the minister said. Qatar is support efforts to address the phenomenon of global climate change for a long time by promoting the production and export of liquefied natural gas as clean energy with efficient and low carbon content.
Despite the fact that Qatar is not obliged under the Framework Convention, to identify ceilings to control emissions, we have made voluntary efforts and develop plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Qatar participates in this forum to review the experiences and the efforts of a number of national authorities that are consistent with the National Vision 2030 and the policy of Qatar aimed at sustainable development and environmental protection.
The ministry has begin since two months for preparing for a huge project “al shaheen” in cooperation with some local companies, aimed to capture carbon dioxide for producing energy.
This will affect positively, reduce the rate of heat emission, especially with the increase of factories and vehicles in the state.
He added the ministry is going to establish another project to cultivate fodder by using sewage treatment, in addition of using renewable energy such solar energy and the interest to product clean gas. All those projects contribute of facing climate change and achieve sustainable environment.
The minister added all factories applied international standards with regard to heat emission and filters which reduce polluting emission to air, mentioning there is stations to monitoring any emissions and the imposition of legal punishment for offenders.
The ministry of environment periodically monitors factories performance, and actually some companies transferred to justice because they don’t committed by the standards.
Abdulla Majid Al Khulaifi, Head of Conservation Technology at Kahramma while addressing the forum said the aim of the national program Tarsheed is to reduce the rate of consumption electricity in Qatar during period from 2011 till 2017 by the rate 20% and the rate of water for the same period to 35 %.
He added that this will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide in the air. He mentioned also the period from 2011 till 2014, the program succeeded to reduce consumption electricity and water 11 % for each one. The Peninsula
