Minister of Municipality and Environment, H E Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi,during the Qatar Environment Day 2018 at Rawdat Al Maida, Al Shamal, yesterday.
DOHA: The Minister of Municipality and Environment, H E Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi, has declared Rawdat Al Maida a natural reserve to protect the trees and plants.
At an event held to celebrate Qatar Environment Day 2018 yesterday, the Minister said Rawdat Al Maida; a green land on Al Shamal road has become a natural reserve that visitors and picnic goers can access without cars to avoid damaging trees and greeneries. He was speaking with media persons on the sidelines of an event organised by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment to celebrate Qatar Environment Day 2018, observed annually on February 26.
The event was organised this year under the slogan “Our Environment Our Heritage” at Rawdat Al Maida in Al Shamal.
Converting Rawdat Al Maida into a natural reserve will protect the environmental balance of this area, said the Minister adding that measures will be taken to prohibit the entry of vehicles and animals. He said that spaces will be earmarked to set up tents at Rawdat Al Maida and visitors will be allowed only to go inside the natural reserve by feet to protect the environment of the areas for coming generation.
The Minister added that the future plans of the Ministry in this context are to expand the scope of environmental protection. He said that the State constantly takes into account the environmental impact of projects, and that they have developed many legislation and regulatory laws for it. The Minister said observing Qatari Environment Day confirms the importance of protecting the environment of the country and its natural resources, and the keenness to preserve the environment, leaving it clean and healthy for the upcoming generations to benefit from.
The Minister called for preserving the green areas and refrain from misusing them by stepping on the plants and driving over them.
The Minister assured about good support to Qatari farmers and emphasised on the need of creating balance in the production quality and quantity wise to continue the production throughout the year. He pointed out that the work is going on to achieve self-sufficiency in the agricultural produce by 2020 as per the plan.
The Ministry of Municipality and Environment rehabilitated five rawd (green lands) last year and plans are afoot to rehabilitate another six new green lands this year, said Mohamad Ahmad Al Sada, Undersecretary for Environment Affairs at the Ministry.
He said that a total of 500 trees were planted compensating for the loss of tree affected by the new projects, adding that a total of 3,200 inspection visits were made to ensure the developers are complying the environmental rule while implementing the projects. “The Ministry released 3,366 turtles last year and the project to protect turtles is continuing and it is being implemented at Fuwarid area,” said Al Sada.
