Discover Qatar : Environment

CO2 Champion

Since the 1980s, Qatar's_CO2 emissions have grown astronomically to match the growth of its economy. At their peak in 2005, emissions were approaching 50 tons per capita annually, a stratospheric record. Even if today this score has dropped to a little over 30 tons per capita, the country is still a great champion of per capita emissions: a Qatari produces twice as much as an American, four times as much as a Chinese and seven times as much as a French person. This sad record is mainly due to the gas business, which is of course also dependent on the small population. As the 15th largest oil producer in the world and^5th largest gas producer, Qatar has an energy-intensive economy. The government already wants to reverse the trend, promising a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The key to success: liquefied natural gas, of which the country is the largest producer and which would take over from solar energy, which is being implemented for the first time in 2022. In addition to this, the government is investing in decarbonization technologies, which could remove the carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere, and thus repair the damage already done. This starts with the planting of a million trees to absorb the emissions. Finally, the government is investing in research into clean fuels, such as hydrogen.

Faced with the heat, the air-conditioned streets

The heat and the drought are becoming so unbearable in Qatar that it is feared that it will soon become a vast uninhabited desert. It must be said that the Gulf country did not start with the best cards in hand: an arid climate, high humidity due to the evaporation of the Gulf waters which prevents the cooling of the body, stifling temperatures (a record of 50.4°C in 2010), and not a single lake or river. This last point in particular poses a problem, because faced with the total absence of fresh water, the country must draw on groundwater and desalinate sea water to meet the needs of its population. Result: the water stress index is at its maximum. Despite this, water, so rare and precious, remains free, so that while a French person consumes about 150 liters of water per day, a Qatari needs 500.

While the climate is already significantly derailed by climate change, as residents of the capital saw in 2018, when more than a year's worth of rain fell in one day, the heat becomes all the more stifling. Urban areas like Doha, especially, are the most affected, due to the high density of heat-absorbing materials and asphalt. To counter this problem, Qatar has started to use light-reflecting blue materials for road construction, thus cooling the temperature by 7°C. Although energy consumption is at the root of the problem, Qatar is taking short-term measures to deal with the problem, such as when it began installing air conditioners in the streets in the late 2010s to allow residents to continue living normally. However, it is known that 60% of the country's electricity is used for cooling.

A controversial World Cup

While the government hoped that the event would highlight the development and influence of this rich country to the world, it has raised strong controversy about the country's environmental record. The very choice of this country, which is adept at setting record temperatures in a fragile environment, to host thousands of supporters, leaves one wondering.

It is not for lack of trying to smooth things over with several promises. The Minister of the Environment has promised in particular in 2018, a "neutral carbon footprint", or a use of solar energy, without providing specific figures. The organizers are also trying to put forward innovative environmental solutions, such as the Stade 974, made of containers and fully dismountable, for a less energy-consuming construction and less waste. Some people already reproach a vast operation of greenwashing aiming at hiding a less brilliant reality. The temperature, in particular, poses a problem, since it does not allow the practice of the sport, so that the competition had to be postponed to November and December, for milder temperatures: all the same of 25 °C at least. To cool down the players and tourists, a giant air conditioning system has been implemented in the stadiums. The organization is trying to emphasize the strategic positioning of the stadium, on an artificial peninsula, to allow the use of water from the Gulf for a less energy-consuming air conditioning. This is not enough to silence the critics, who remember the 2019 World Athletics Championships, when the stadium's 3,000 air vents brought the temperature down to a pleasant 25°C, even though the outside temperature was 42°C.

Protected areas in their infancy

Qatar has 9 protected areas, 4 of which are marine. They are traditionally not open to the public, although since the beginning of 2022, the Ministry has made it possible to register for certain slots to visit the reserves. The protected areas were almost all created in the early 2000s, in a conservation effort still in its infancy. One of the benefits is that they provide habitat for endangered animals, such as the rare Arabian oryx, an antelope that was saved from extinction by a small population kept in captivity at a U.S. zoo in the 1960s, which led to the reintroduction of the species.

Among the protected areas, the State has submitted the Khor Al Udayd reserve to the Unesco World Heritage. In this unique environment in the world, an inland sea subject to the tides and dunes in a complex expanse of lagoons. Where, in the past, nomads used to graze their camels, rare species such as the dugong, an animal close to the manatee, both in its taxonomic rank and its chubby appearance, but which differs from it thanks to its tail close to that of a cetacean, now flourish.

On the other hand, the only real natural park is the Umm Tais National Park, an uninhabited island in the north of the state. It is populated by nothing but a mangrove, deserted beaches, numerous species of birds and marine animals. A true bird sanctuary, the park is currently being redesigned to delight tourists, who will be able to observe ibises, herons, cormorants and ospreys.