Explorar a transformação do Catar numa nação sustentável e resistente às alterações climáticas
Apesar de se situar numa região árida, o Catar tornou-se uma história de sucesso em matéria de resiliência climática e sustentabilidade. As iniciativas da Fundação do Catar, como a Green Island e o The Giving Garden, são formas de combater as alterações climáticas através da educação dos jovens.
Em parceria com Media City
LEIA MAIS : http://pt.euronews.com/2025/06/11/explorar-a-transformacao-do-catar-numa-nacao-sustentavel-e-resistente-as-alteracoes-climat
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Apesar de se situar numa região árida, o Catar tornou-se uma história de sucesso em matéria de resiliência climática e sustentabilidade. As iniciativas da Fundação do Catar, como a Green Island e o The Giving Garden, são formas de combater as alterações climáticas através da educação dos jovens.
Em parceria com Media City
LEIA MAIS : http://pt.euronews.com/2025/06/11/explorar-a-transformacao-do-catar-numa-nacao-sustentavel-e-resistente-as-alteracoes-climat
Subscreva, euronews está disponível em 12 línguas.
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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
00:34that 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, a 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.
02:40What we do is we customise every single visit to the needs of the school.
02:45We have a very open discussion with the schools, we 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 and 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.
03:46Like I recycle and I don't use stuff that uses pollution, and they recycle everything that's plastic.
03:59Other 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.
04:22Dr. 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?
04:38So 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 are going to affect Qatar
05:08and 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?
05:26The region in the Arabian Gulf shares a lot of similar challenges.
05:31Water scarcity, arid environments, hot temperatures in the summers.
05:35If 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,
06:27how we're trying to adapt to a changing climate
06:30and adjust to environmental challenges we face.
06:34And this also involves the public.
06:36I know everyone has a role to play in our consumption behaviors and our behaviors and our choices.
06:41So taking our research, not just to government partners and private sector partners,
06:45but also the public at large and beyond,
06:47so everyone can play their part adapting to the changing climate.
06:51And finally, with all of the groundwork and foundation that you have done,
06:56researching sustainability and climate change efforts,
06:59how 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,
07:15we 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.
07:43How do you rapidly shift from a really growing economy
07:48where 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.
08:02From Qatar's National Sustainability Strategy,
08:05back to another community initiative here in Education City.
08:09Ioana Hu's visits an eco-friendly micro-farm
08:12that hopes to grow a greener future for all.
08:17It's harvest day at the Giving Garden
08:19and green-fingered volunteers have shown up in numbers
08:22to reap the crops that are ripe and ready to be picked.
08:25What started out as a vision last year
08:27has blossomed into Doha's first sustainable micro-farm
08:31in Qatar Foundation's Education City,
08:33dedicated 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 a drip irrigation system to limit the water usage.
08:49We don't spray any pesticides.
08:50We don't use chemical fertilizers.
08:52We only use compost.
08:55And we thought we can grow a lot of vegetables,
08:58organic vegetables,
09:00and deliver them to the community.
09:02The Giving Garden is a collaboration
09:04between gardening education company Hadika
09:07and charity Feed a Friend
09:09with help from youth organization The Student Reach.
09:12Together they aim to enhance sustainable farming in Qatar
09:15by producing fruit and vegetables
09:17that 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
09:28that gardening is very therapeutic.
09:31And the most enjoyable part was seeing
09:32how it went from a barren, just like desert, sand a lot
09:36to becoming just like this fruitful area
09:39where just people come together
09:40maybe once or twice a week
09:42to just make friends and help the community.
09:45There's no cherry picking at the Giving Garden.
09:47To avoid food waste,
09:48all edible fruits and vegetables are harvested,
09:51regardless of their shape and size.
09:52We don't throw vegetables,
09:54even if they have a bad shape,
09:56if they are a bit smaller
09:57or if they don't look the right color
10:00as the vegetables that we see at the supermarket.
10:03Even if some things are damaged by pests or diseases,
10:08then 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
10:27free for anyone to take.
10:29The community fridges with Feed-A-Friend
10:31are places all over Doha.
10:33I think there are more than 80 fridges right now
10:35and that's numbers going up every day
10:37that are a place that are open
10:39to anybody to put food in or to take food out.
10:43So the Giving Garden is great
10:44because it provides fresh nutritional produce
10:47directly to the fridges
10:48for 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.
10:58The 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
11:05and a garden that will keep on giving.
11:07I'm happy to bring my kids both to the Giving Garden
11:11because it's a nice chance for them
11:12to get out in nature, to help with the gardening,
11:15but then it's also good for them
11:16to take what's produced here to the fridges.
11:19For them to see direct impact on our community
11:24is really nice and a rare thing for them to see
11:27and be a part of and 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.