Local environmental authorities are drafting a national plan to combat desertification and preserve Qatar's natural habitat, an official said.
The Supreme Council for Environment and Natural Reserves (SCENR) is working on a national anti-desertification plan that is to be presented to the public by the end of this month.
"We have drafted a plan that aims to combat desertification and protect the areas with vegetation and wildlife that we have in the country," said Nasser Al Muraikhi, head of the Biological Diversity Section at the SCENR.
Speaking to Gulf News, Al Muraikhi said SCENR is to present the draft of the plan to other governmental agencies and ministries at the end of this month to collect comments and suggestions on how to improve the strategy.
The plan aims to retain the existing habitat of flora and fauna that is endangered by the desertification process.
It also seeks to establish protected areas to breed endangered species of animals from the Arabian Peninsula and to define the borders of natural parks, without endangering the environment.
"It is important to involve all the ministries and bodies in the anti-desertification strategy, because they will be key actors in the implementation of the plan."
The official said the anti-desertification plan comes as part of the framework of Qatar's biodiversity policy, an 11-article charter that sets Qatar's environmental guidelines, commitments and objectives.
Al Muraikhi said the SCENR set up a committee for the implementation of the biodiversity policy that was publicly launched last October.
