Obiettivi green del Qatar: riciclaggio, ricerca e giardinaggio

euronews (in Italiano)

11/06/2025

Obiettivi green del Qatar: riciclaggio, ricerca e giardinaggio

Nonostante si trovi in una regione arida, il Qatar è diventato una storia di successo in termini di resilienza climatica e sostenibilità

In collaborazione con Media City

ALTRE INFORMAZIONI : http://it.euronews.com/2025/06/11/obiettivi-green-del-qatar-riciclaggio-ricerca-e-giardinaggio

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00:00I like how there's a lot of plants and how I see a lot of things that I never saw before.

00:08Plants can grow without sun and soil just by water and lights.

00:14The most enjoyable part was seeing how it went from a barren desert to sand a lot

00:19to becoming just like this fruitful area where people come together to help the community.

00:23Hello and welcome to Qatar 365 with me, Laila Humaira.

00:31On this episode, we shine a light on sustainability initiatives

00:35that have been galvanizing communities across the country to do their part for the environment.

00:41But first, I'm here at Green Island in Education City

00:44where recycling, research and hands-on learning are helping to foster a lifestyle of circularity.

00:51These students are pretty excited to be outside the classroom.

00:57They might be away from the books and whiteboards, but the learning doesn't stop.

01:02Today, they're on a special tour of Qatar Foundation's newest educational facility.

01:07The main objective behind Green Island is to make sustainability accessible to all.

01:12And so we're localizing sustainability for visiting schools.

01:16It's very important for students to understand that what they see elsewhere is also happening.

01:21Built on more than 8,000 square metres of land, Green Island has plenty of space for people of all ages to explore.

01:30Through partnerships with companies like Qatar Energy and Agrico,

01:34the facility displays a few of Qatar's major sustainability efforts.

01:38When students visit us, they get to know how Qatar is very ambitious when it comes to solar power.

01:43They get to discover as well how the future of agriculture is mainly about hydroponics and how hydroponics are being implemented.

01:52By going in these different stations, they get to understand how dense it works and how cross-functional it is.

01:59Green Island also prides itself as a recycling hub,

02:03a place where members of the public can put thought into action.

02:07Other than the four standard recycling streams of paper, plastic, glass and metals,

02:12there are three additional bins to collect electronic waste.

02:16So if you have some old batteries, cables or tablets to throw out and you're not sure how or where to dispose of them,

02:23Green Island also has the facilities to show you the entire recycling process for each material.

02:29Beyond learning about recycling and sustainable efforts,

02:33Green Island's outreach program also includes hands-on activities like workshops and games.

02:41What we do is we customise every single visit to the needs of the school.

02:45We have a very open discussion with the schools.

02:47We understand their curriculum and we understand their needs.

02:50At the core of Green Island's mission is to lay the foundations to transform Qatar's growth into a circular economy.

02:57When we speak about upcycling construction waste, we're able to produce urban furniture using the same materials.

03:04And so explaining to the visitors and especially the kids that what used to be waste as a demolished building

03:10could be converted through a process into urban furniture through, of course, a very meticulous design process.

03:17This is a typical example of circular economy that we would like to convey and have kids understand very well.

03:23And so far, school excursions like the one today have struck a chord with the students

03:28and hopefully leave a lasting impact.

03:31It's really nice. I like how there's a lot of plants and how I see a lot of things that I never saw before.

03:41Plants can grow without sun and soil, just by water and lights.

03:45Other than outreach programs, Qatar has invested billions of dollars into research,

04:07specifically looking at sustainable development and climate resilience.

04:10From Green Island to Hamad bin Khalifa University, where I've come to meet two leading researchers

04:16involved in Qatar's regional and national efforts in sustainability and climate change.

04:25Dr. Davia, Dr. Logan, thank you so much for speaking with us today.

04:29I wanted to start with this national resilience framework that you both are working on together.

04:33Can you tell us more about it and what it aims to achieve?

04:36So Qatar's Climate Resilience Framework, what we're trying to do is to look into different types of risks

04:44that could affect Qatar, including climate risk.

04:49And what we're trying to do is build an institutional collaboration with academia

04:54where we're trying to develop tools and strategies through research

05:00and to help empower decision makers and stakeholders to understand what kind of climate risks

05:06are going to affect Qatar and what kind of solutions could emerge.

05:10And speaking of international, you both also lead a regional climate change group,

05:15more specifically looking at sustainability within or in arid environments.

05:21Can you tell us how that is different to that first initiative that you're working on?

05:25The region in the Arabian Gulf shares a lot of similar challenges.

05:31Water scarcity, arid environments, hot temperatures in the summers.

05:36If we are able to collaborate across, we can make progress faster, learn from each other

05:41and move forward or sort of leapfrog into a more sustainable future faster.

05:48Bringing it back to Qatar, what are some specific challenges that this country faces

05:53when it comes to climate change and sustainability?

05:55And how can research formulate solutions for these challenges?

06:00Qatar is pretty unique.

06:01We do share a lot of the same challenges as our region,

06:05but it's a hyper-arid country with water scarcity.

06:10Environmentally, we have sea level rise, increase of temperature,

06:14and that could put a strain on our power sector, our water sector.

06:19It also could put a strain as well on importing food and other kind of things.

06:25With the research that we're doing, how we're trying to adapt to a changing climate

06:30and adjust to environmental challenges we face, and this also involves the public.

06:36I know everyone has a role to play in our consumption behaviors and our behaviors and our choices.

06:40So taking our research, not just to government partners and private sector partners,

06:44but also the public at large and beyond, so everyone can play their part adapting to the changing climate.

06:52And finally, with all of the groundwork and foundation that you have done researching sustainability

06:57and climate change efforts, how can the world learn from smaller states like Qatar

07:03and the sustainability efforts being done here?

07:06So I think Qatar has gone through a lot of challenges.

07:11Our heritage, in terms of living in a very harsh environment,

07:16we could showcase to the world how a world post-climate change looked like.

07:20I think Qatar has done an amazing job in terms of building the education sector,

07:25building these kind of working groups that are trying to solve challenges

07:29that we will not face in the next five years, but maybe 10, 15 years,

07:34and proper planning.

07:36The transformation of the state of Qatar over the last three decades has been remarkable.

07:44How do you rapidly shift from a really growing economy where you have a lot of construction?

07:50How can you do that alongside sustainability goals and aspirations?

07:55And the state of Qatar offers a lot of insights for others.

07:58From Qatar's National Sustainability Strategy, back to another community initiative here in Education City.

08:10Joanna Hoos visits an eco-friendly micro-farm that hopes to grow a greener future for all.

08:17It's harvest day at the Giving Garden, and green-fingered volunteers have shown up in numbers

08:22to reap the crops that are ripe and ready to be picked.

08:26What started out as a vision last year has blossomed into Doha's first sustainable micro-farm

08:31in Qatar Foundation's Education City, dedicated to organic produce and to giving back.

08:36The whole Education City micro-farm is sustainable. It's organic.

08:42So the Giving Garden follows the same principles.

08:45We have drip irrigation systems to limit the water usage.

08:48We don't spray any pesticides. We don't use chemical fertilizers.

08:52We only use compost.

08:55And we thought we can grow a lot of vegetables, organic vegetables,

08:59and deliver them to the community.

09:03The Giving Garden is a collaboration between gardening education company Hadika

09:07and charity Feed a Friend, with help from youth organization The Student Reach.

09:12Together they aim to enhance sustainable farming in Qatar

09:15by producing fruit and vegetables that have minimal impact on the planet

09:19but maximum impact on the community.

09:21From the feedback that I've heard from the volunteers,

09:24they've enjoyed mostly making new friends.

09:26And I've heard a lot of feedback that gardening is very therapeutic.

09:31And the most enjoyable part was seeing how it went from a barren,

09:34just like desert, sand a lot,

09:36to becoming just like this fruitful area where just people come together

09:40maybe once or twice a week to just make friends and help the community.

09:44There's no cherry picking at the Giving Garden.

09:47To avoid food waste, all edible fruits and vegetables are harvested,

09:51regardless of their shape and size.

09:52We don't throw vegetables, even if they have a bad shape,

09:56if they are a bit smaller, or if they don't look the right color

10:00as the vegetables that we see at the supermarket.

10:03And even if some things are damaged by pests or diseases,

10:07then we might still add them in a compost bin.

10:12And in general, the food waste is, I would say, zero.

10:17Once packed in sustainable brown bags,

10:20volunteers like Stephanie take the produce

10:22to well-placed Feed-a-Friend community fridges,

10:25leaving the nutritious and fresh food free for anyone to take.

10:29The community fridges with Feed-a-Friend are places all over Doha.

10:33I think there are more than 80 fridges right now,

10:35and that number is going up every day,

10:37that are a place that are open to anybody to put food in or to take food out.

10:43So the Giving Garden is great because it provides fresh nutritional produce

10:47directly to the fridges for those friends in our community.

10:50Through its collaboration with the Student Reach,

10:52and by encouraging volunteers to bring their kids,

10:55the Giving Garden aims to bring young people to the farm.

10:57The team hopes that by getting their hands dirty together,

11:01it will nurture a love of nature in the next generation,

11:04ensuring a greener future and a garden that will keep on giving.

11:08I'm happy to bring my kids both to the Giving Garden

11:11because it's a nice chance for them to get out in nature,

11:13to help with the gardening,

11:15but then it's also good for them to take what's produced here to the fridges.

11:19For them to see direct impact on our community is really nice

11:25and a rare thing for them to see and be a part of,

11:28and it helps teach them gratitude.

11:33From Green Island to the Giving Garden,

11:35building an eco-friendly and sustainable living ecosystem

11:38is how Qatar is committing to building a future

11:41where the economy and environment thrive hand in hand.

11:45We hope you've enjoyed this episode,

11:47but that's all the time we have for now.

11:49For more, check out Euronews.com

11:50and connect with us through our hashtag.

11:52Thanks for watching,

11:53and we'll see you next time on Qatar 365.

11:56We'll see you next time on fireside.

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