The “Green Tent” affiliated with “A Flower Each Spring” discussed the environmental challenges resulting from climate change and global warming in the Middle East and the Arab region,in the presence of a group of experts and those interested in environmental affairs from Qatar and a number of Arab countries.
Environmental experts said during the symposium, which was held under the title “Climate Summits and Confronting Climate Change”, that rising temperatures is the biggest risk in climate changes, attributing the reason for this to human activities and the increasing pace of industrial operations. They pointed out that this industrial activity was reflected in the increase in emissions of greenhouse gases, which resulted in floods, droughts, heat, and loss of biological balance.
They indicated that there is no time for disagreement between the leaders of countries, and everyone must unite to find radical solutions to the issue of climate change, which causes many disasters, and for which people and fragile societal groups pay the price, especially women, children and people with disabilities.
They pointed out that the solution lies in the science, modern technologies and the expansion of green industries, stressing the need for Arab countries to unite in developing radical solutions to climate change. At the same time, they hailed the Middle East Green Initiative launched by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which aims to plant 50 billion trees, including 10 billion trees within the Kingdom.
Regarding response plans to face the challenges of climate change, the experts said that plans to respond to climate change vary according to the economic, scientific and technological conditions of each country.
They stressed that Qatar is one of the first countries to develop a plan to confront climate change, which is based on a set of points, namely setting air quality-monitoring plans, creating a national biodiversity database, strengthening national, regional and international strategic partnerships, monitoring marine water quality, promoting sustainability of environmental awareness, rehabilitating polluted sites, and handling hazardous waste technically.
In this context, Head of A Flower Each Spring Program Dr. Saif bin Ali Al Hajari stressed that climate summits play an important role in confronting climate change, and they provide an opportunity to build a world that relies on renewable sources and green economic systems, in addition to producing clean energy and promoting sustainability.
Regarding the benefits of climate summits, Dr. Al Hajari explained that they enhance public awareness of the issue of climate change and the need to confront it, and that they motivate governments and institutions to take what is necessary to mitigate its effects and to develop green economies, as well as contribute to strengthening international cooperation in combating phenomena related to climate change, such as increased carbon emissions and global warming.
He pointed out that the climate summits held in many countries push international organizations and private companies to improve their environmental performance, and contribute to setting the necessary policies and programs to protect the environment and preserve biodiversity, water resources and forests.
For his part, environmental expert and engineering consultant at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari underlined that environmental reports and scientific studies related to climate indicated that the Arab region was affected by climate changes, and that the most severe of these changes is high temperature and drought, as dry seasons have become frequent in recent years and their periods were prolonged, adding that they have a greater impact on many agricultural sectors. He also pointed out that drought, scarcity of rain and lack of available water seriously affect agricultural activity.
He noted that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has witnessed, in recent years, unprecedented floods and torrential rains linked to global climatic changes, as weather fluctuations occurred in some Arab countries that led to heavy and torrential rains, causing damage to infrastructure, roads and facilities, as well as the drowning of some cities and villages, and the loss of life and property.
Dr. Al Kuwari said that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) indicated in a report that climate projections estimate that the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region will witness a record rise in temperatures, and they will become more vulnerable to extreme events. Higher temperatures and lower rainfall will lead to an increase in drought, he added.
He recommended that the Arab countries should seek innovations that help overcome the water scarcity crisis in the framework of their efforts to confront climate change, and that the Arab countries should adopt modern and advanced methods such as the alternate humidification and drying system for agricultural fields, which provides the required water, as well as the use of advanced systems and technologies for calculating water to assess available quantities, including soil moisture sensors, satellite evaporation measurements, and the encouragement of scientific research in the areas of food security in conditions of climate changes.
Source: Qatar News Agency