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Experts and citizens stressed the importance of efforts to prevent environmental violations by certain individuals and companies and to protect wildlife during the winter. They reviewed some practical solutions to strengthen control over wild areas and raise community awareness of the importance of protecting the environment. These included setting up fixed environmental patrol points to reduce constant violations on the land, and using modern technology and cameras to monitor grasslands and nature reserves in various areas, in addition to fencing grasslands in wild areas to protect them from being run over by cars.
They stressed to Al Arabiya the need to involve citizens in environmental protection programs and community initiatives to raise environmental awareness, as well as to strengthen control over kindergartens in the regions to prevent the “wrong practices” that “prevail” during the camping season and punish those implemented in accordance with the provisions of the law, pointing out that the practice of crushing kindergartens, where wild plants increase in winter, causes great damage to the environment and soil through great harm and destruction of fungal and plant life, in addition to the distortion they cause to the natural beauty of the land.
They pointed out that the competent authorities, including the Shura Council, are making great efforts to protect the environment and wild areas by tracking environmental violations and including them in their agenda, enacting laws that help protect the environment and mainland Qatar as their role. It remains for the executive bodies to ensure that these laws are properly implemented, noting that protecting the environment is a collective responsibility, asking people to recognize its importance, especially wilderness hikers, to contribute to the conservation of wildlife in the country, while others called for strict penalties to deter violators, especially those who cut down trees for heating, noting that strict monitoring of violations will deter reckless people as well as wilderness hikers’ commitment to conditions and laws.
Rashid Al Marri: Self-censorship is the best approach
Citizen Rashid Al Marri pointed out that some violators deliberately park their cars inside kindergartens and leave garbage near protected areas, ignoring designated containers near main and secondary roads. He pointed out that despite the environmental laws in place to protect our environment, violations are unfortunately still prevalent. Qatar’s environment needs to be more controlled, especially some gardens are most vulnerable to violations because the demand for land increases at these times of the year and violations occur frequently during this season, most of which are bulldozers. The destruction of soil is considered an infringement on national property, as well as the destruction of rare plants and trees without considering that these trees may be in danger of extinction, calling on the competent authorities to strengthen environmental awareness. On the one hand, strengthen the penalties for violators of camps who violate binding environmental laws and do not bear any responsibility.
He said that one of the most prominent and repetitive violations is the dumping of waste and leaving it on the land, in addition to uprooting the trees without considering the risk of extinction. This requires all parties to strengthen the opinions of the competent authorities on environmental awareness, as well as everyone’s awareness and self-monitoring of protecting the environment and the beauty of nature. He emphasized that campers must abide by public morals and must not arbitrarily modify cars and motorcycles by using loudspeakers to disturb others and infringe on the comfort of others, endangering the lives of others.
Engineer Abdullah Mohammed: CCTV cameras monitor violations
Engineer Abdullah Mohammed stressed the importance of adopting modern technology and cameras to monitor environmental violations in various areas of the country as well as grasslands and nature reserves, in addition to the need to fence more grasslands in wild areas to prevent them from being run over by cars and other bad practices that damage grassland nature by bulldozing or slowing down the growth cycle of wild herbs and trees, noting that fencing should be combined with raising awareness of the importance of environmental protection, including his call for wilderness visitors to respect the land and not to enter it with cars and motorcycles except through paved roads to avoid causing situations that hinder the growth cycle of plants, shrubs and trees that are run over.
He stressed the importance of environmental awareness, since nothing can prevent illegal actions except awareness, consciousness and responsibility, and said that awareness must be done in the right way, by explaining the effects of the action, and answering the question (why do it, etc., what is the importance of this question), not just that? Awareness is based on the approach (do and don’t do)… because when a person is aware of the reasons why he must do or not do a certain action, his response to the instruction increases. He explained that although trips to the wilderness are a positive phenomenon, some actions of some people make it a source of environmental damage, attacking trees and breaking them under the pretext of benefiting from firewood, leaving waste that cannot be decomposed. And other negative actions that harm the environment, instead of being a contributing factor to its growth and safety, serving humanity, pointing out the need to implant in our culture concepts that encourage respect for trees and their growth. Society, and encourage movements and initiatives that call for the protection of the environment and trees.
Dr. Saif Al-Hajri: Clean environment is everyone’s responsibility
Dr. Saif bin Ali Al-Hajri, Director of the “Spring Blossoms” project and the Friends of Nature Center, stressed the importance of raising environmental awareness among visitors to wild areas during the winter to protect environmental resources from damage, including praising the advocacy work carried out by the competent authorities to raise awareness of the importance of the environment and its protection, noting that protecting the environment is everyone’s responsibility, including protecting wildlife and trees, stressing that attacking the sanctity of human beings by cutting down trees for warmth destroys the heritage and environmental value of trees, but they must be carefully protected because they represent an important heritage.
Dr. Hajri stressed the importance of spreading a culture of personal and social responsibility that respects wildlife and environmental cleanliness, raising the level of environmental awareness among visitors to wild areas to protect the natural environment and wildlife of mainland Qatar, and educating visitors about areas that are not exposed to trees, as some people light fires under large trees to avoid the movement of the wind, and due to the effects of the flames, a kind of gap begins to form in the trunks of trees, which eventually erode, causing it to age and decay, and we must take into account this existing life, as the environment has been exposed to the harsh climate and needs attention, and not caring for it means that we will not find joy in the wilderness.
Dr. Al-Hajri added: We have to make a fire in the right place and then make the place better than it was. This does not require a lot of time and effort because the place will be used more than once or by more than one person. We have to take into account the values of life of justice, just like our fathers and grandfathers, they were passionate about justice because the benefits they received were direct, but the current generation does not see the direct benefits and awareness programs must be carried out in this area. Strengthening, similar to the projects of the Katara Cultural Village Foundation, which aims to connect people with wildlife and enjoy its atmosphere. If we find that there is a violation, then the philanthropists must cancel it and make the place better than before. Heating with trees or throwing garbage, these are behaviors we should not follow, but we must correct them and warn about their harms, because correcting the mistakes of others is considered charity… It confirms your environmental sensitivity and awareness, love for the motherland, because love for the motherland is a commitment to the law, not to raise a flag… We call on young people and families to teach their children to respect wildlife because it is a behavior, not a knowledge violation in college. It is not a cognitive story, but a behavioral story that must be cultivated from an early age, which is the responsibility of the foster family, then the responsibility of the school curriculum, and the role of non-classroom education in promoting values. Environment… These are Islamic values, first and foremost encouraging kindness and blessings… Most of the creatures on the mainland of Qatar, such as wild animals and birds, face death on land because they eat things left behind by people, such as plastic materials and debris left behind during travel.
Ali Al-Hanzab: There are fixed patrol points
Environmental activist Ali Al Hamzab, head of the Ali Al Hamzab Afforestation and Combating Desertification Initiative, called on citizens to participate in protecting the environment and natural resources and ensuring their sustainability, thereby safeguarding the rights of future generations.
He stressed that there should be no leniency for violations at sea, on land, especially on weekends, and at the same time, supervision should be strengthened to protect the land from infringement and increase the penalties for cutting down trees for heating. The seriousness of supervising violations will prevent reckless people and land users from complying with conditions and laws. As for license holders, they are usually committed to environmental laws.
He suggested setting up fixed environmental patrol points to limit the constant violations in the wilderness, both by estate owners and campsite owners, and passing through estates and campsite sites every day to ensure that their owners comply with environmental requirements and laws to protect the resources of wilderness areas and prevent those who exploit them for firewood at these times. He called on the campers to appreciate the heritage and environmental value of the trees and protect them as they represent an important heritage. The need to choose dry cuttings was noted so that their green branches are not broken or damaged.
He stressed that the increase in environmental violations such as trampling of grass and wild plants during the winter season causes great damage to the environment and soil, great harm to animal and plant life, and damage to wildlife. This behavior distorts the natural beauty of the land and is considered a criminal act, and its negative impact on the natural environment is no less than the phenomenon of absurdity and felling of trees. Destructive behavior for fun, as well as overgrazing, are all violations that often occur at this time of year, leading to a serious deterioration of Qatar’s natural environment, including protected areas, pastures and grazing lands.
The meeting stressed the need to collaborate with school administrations and relevant agencies to systematically promote environmental awareness among young people, especially primary and secondary school students, inculcate environmental cultural concepts into young people and protect them.
He said that despite the fact that trips to wilderness are a positive phenomenon, some actions of some people make it a source of environmental damage, attacking and breaking trees under the pretext of gaining benefits from firewood, leaving behind waste that cannot be decomposed and other negative actions that harm the environment, instead of being a contributing factor to its growth and safety, at the service of humanity, pointing out the need to implant in our culture concepts that encourage respect for trees and their growth in society, and to encourage movements and initiatives that call for the protection of the environment and trees.
He believes that the unjust felling of sama and other trees and profiting from them is one of the illegal acts that some wilderness enthusiasts are engaging in, knowingly or unknowingly, during the winter months, in violation of the laws and regulations set by the state and region that are meant to protect the environment and punish all those who violate it.
5 Tips for Fighting Illegal Activities
While the competent authorities are keen to ensure the continuity of environmental protection as it is one of the pillars of environmental development and part of Qatar’s National Vision 2030, protecting the environment from violations is one of the focuses of a general discussion request submitted by an organization. Some members of the Shura Council, their Excellencies, have been asked about violations by some individuals and companies and their impact on the wild environment. They warned that dumping construction debris and waste, overgrazing and other practices that are harmful to the environment may violate the environment, grasslands and wildlife, despite the existence of laws and legislation that criminalize these acts. Their suggestions include fencing grasslands to prevent them from being trampled, setting up mobile farms outside kindergartens as this has a negative impact on the environment, and expanding judicial control over environmental experts. To be able to perform their duties as required, the salaries of judicial supervisors, environmental inspectors, need to be increased.
Several commissioners also proposed setting up an ad hoc committee to discuss issues concerning wild environments and submit recommendations to the Shura Council after hearing from environmental experts and incorporating their opinions into a report to arrive at a clear vision for environmental governance, which they described as a legacy for future generations. The proposals also include controls on grazing in wild areas, as overgrazing and felling of trees have left many areas barren and lacking vegetation.
In addition to strengthening the cooperation of academic and research institutions in environmental affairs, as this cooperation can solve many environmental problems, and increase the penalties for land violations and destruction in wilderness areas after rains and then cutting and burning of trees, as this is an irresponsible behavior that is caused by not understanding the consequences, which reflects on the wild environment.
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