Qatar to celebrate world environment day

The State of Qatar will commemorate the World Environment Day 2011 (WED) on Sunday with the theme "Forests: Nature At Your Service." WED is an annual event that is aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. Its celebration began in 1972 and has emerged as a tool to stimulate worldwide awareness of the environment. In a statement issued on the occasion, the Environment Ministry said WED has succeeded over the recent years to shed light on various global environmental issues and encouraged governmental and non-governmental attention and action by adopting a number of key solutions. The State of Qatar has realized the importance of forests and natural vegetation in maintaining nature's balance, noting in this regard HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani keenness to conserve natural resources and the ecosystem for present and future generations, the statement said. The concern given by the State of Qatar to the environmental issues, stems from the growing need to address vital global environmental issues, the statement said. The Ministry also warned about deforestation of the Green Zone due to the increasing urban development to meet the needs of the growing world population. When it comes to the depletion of natural resources and environmental pollution, the Ministry said Man should think and try to understand the relationship with the natural and be aware not to misuse the natural gifts. Qatar vision 2030 document showcase Qatar's concern to preserve the ecosystem mainly water and natural vegetation, the statement concluded, referring in this regard to the cultivation of salt marshes in Dukhan and the protection of mangrove forests against coastal erosion. The WED theme, which supports this year's UN International Year of Forests, underscores the variety of life-sustaining services that forests provide and calls us all to take action to protect these resources and move towards a green econom.