Launch of Qatar Leaving a Legacy for Future Generations Progress, Challenges and Responses for Sustainable Development

Doha, December 06 (QNA) -: "Qatar Leaving a Legacy for Future Generations: Progress, Challenges and Responses for Sustainable Development, prepared jointly by GSDP and UNDP, is an affirmation of the national commitment to strengthening international cooperation to enhance the effectiveness of monitoring and managing sustainable development", said HE Dr Saleh Al Nabit the Secretary General of the General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP). HE Dr. Saleh and UNDP Administrator Ms. Helen Clark jointly launched the report at the Qatar Sustainability Expo 2012. The report charts Qatar s progress towards the achievement of the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030) and Qatar National Development Strategy 2011-2016 (NDS 2011-2016). QNV 2030 and NDS 2011-2016 embed the principles of sustainable development and explicitly align the growth of national prosperity to the realities of environmental constraints. And they embody actions that will ensure the sustainability of future development. Qatar s exceptionally rapid economic and population growth, spatial development, and natural resource use have resulted in environmental stresses which are being aggressively tackled through programmes in the NDS 2011-2016. QNV 2030 and NDS 2011-2016 are setting Qatar on a development path aligned to the requirements of sustainable development. This is being done through ensuring, inter alia, effective environmental policies and regulations, the application of best available technology, the development of strong environmental institutions, and advocacy campaigns for behavioural change. The report highlights that efforts and initiatives are showing positive progress in many economic, social and environmental areas. - The State of Qatar has made outstanding development progress in human development such that it has raised the country s ranking in the global Human Development Index to 37th in 2011, compared with 51st in 2000. - Supportive of Qatar s sustainability drive and its diversification aims, Qatar Foundation s sizeable investments in knowledge, research and innovation are beginning to pay dividends. A growing proportion (16%) of graduates are studying in Education City Universities, where the focus is on specializations required for a knowledge economy. - While Qatar s CO2 emissions continue to rise over the decade 2000 to 2010, the rate of increase slowed markedly between 2007 and 2010. On a per capita basis CO2 emissions have declined since 2005. - The impact of investing in and utilizing new technologies such as carbon capture and storage, has reduced gas flaring intensity by half between 2008 and 2010. - A comprehensive solid waste management plan is focusing on encouraging recycling, incentivizing waste reduction, promoting source separation and developing a robust recycling sector. The volume of recycled waste increased from 10.5% in 2001 to 26.3% in 2008. "National governments play an important role in providing a healthy enabling environment for sustainable development. National efforts also require active participation by the private sector and civil society in order to achieve sustainable development objectives", said Dr Saleh. "Our aim is to ensure an environmentally aware population". The report also outlines how Qatar is making a major contribution to the global partnership for sustainable development through various forms of international collaboration and cooperation, including bilateral, regional and multilateral development assistance, as well as championing south-south relations. Qatar contributes more than 0.5% of its GDP to official development assistance, an amount higher than the average of OECD countries, which is 0.31%. (QNA)