Qatar Marks World Environment Day

Doha, June 05 (QNA) - The State of Qatar marked Sunday the World Environment Day, celebrated this year under the theme "Zero Tolerance for the Illegal Wildlife Trade". Speaking on the occasion, Assistant Undersecretary for Environmental Affairs at Qatar Ministry of Municipality and Environment Eng. Ahmed Al Sada said that the World Environment Day is an occasion to spread awareness and recall the need to protect the environment in various elements and components. In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al Sada said that the State of Qatar has been keen to celebrate the occasion every year in line with the international efforts for the protection of environment. He pointed to several activities organized by the state to mark the occasion aiming at raising awareness about the importance of preserving the environment. He underlined Qatar's commitment to the protection of wildlife as stipulated in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), noting that the Ministry of Municipality and Environment is making great efforts to protect wildlife and preserve them from extinction and degradation to maintain environmental sustainability. For his part, Director of Environmental Protection, Nature Reserves and Wildlife Department in the ministry Omar Salem Al Nuaimi said that the State of Qatar is among the first GCC countries which preserved the endangered Arabian Oryx through the establishment of a number of nature reserves. He shed light on the Arabian Oryx DNA project which will be launched soon to identify the native species of the Arabian Oryx, explaining that the project is the fruit of cooperation between the Ministry of Municipality and Environment Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar in the Education City. The Ministry organized an exhibition in Ezdan Mall today to mark the occasion. The fair included pictures of flora and fauna of the Qatari environment, as well as a range of forbidden animal holdings, such as elephant teeth, deer horns and other objects that the international convention CITES prevent from trafficking. Eng. Al Sada opened the exhibition in the presence of several officials of the Ministry. The fair also included presentations and environmental models relevant to the celebration logo. On Saturday, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment highlighted in a press statement the great attention and unlimited support given by the State of Qatar for the protection and conservation of the environment, under the wise leadership of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. (QNA)