For several years, the nation of Qatar has been attempting to encourage greater agricultural production, and recent developments in soil reclamation and conservation are beginning to have a positive impact. New technologies and techniques are helping to restore soil fertility and allow for better sustainability. If these recent successes continue, Qatar will be looking at a greener future and could achieve a greater degree of food self-sufficiency.
Agricultural Challenges for Qatar
Qatar has a very hot climate with an average yearly temperature of over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. There is very little rainfall on the entire peninsula, and most of the nation consists of a flat, barren desert area with a covering of sand and gravel kicked up by dust storms. Despite this difficult terrain, Qatar subsisted on small farming and nomadic herding prior to the beginning of large-scale oil drilling in 1939. Since then, Qatar’s economy has been heavily focused on the oil trade, and much of its farming and herding was discontinued for many years.
Qatar began to import most of its food supplies. In the 1970s, food prices rose significantly, and the Qatari government started to look at ways to increase agricultural development. Progress was very slow at first. The paucity of freshwater was a formidable barrier to any serious increase in Qatar’s agriculture. Even by 2011, just 5.6 percent of Qatar’s land was used for agriculture.
Qatar’s Embrace of Environment Issues
Recently, however, Qatar has been at the forefront of environmental issues such as soil reclamation and preservation. In 2018 Qatar’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change began a major survey of the country’s soil to determine the extent of soil degradation and where best to initiate reclamation projects. This follows the efforts to extend protected area coverage throughout the nation, with the total area under that designation rising from 11 percent in 2005 to 29 percent today. In terms of surface area, this percentage is among the highest in the world.
Qatar has also invested in key strategies and technologies that aim to increase agricultural production. Since 2017, the nation has greatly increased its greenhouse production systems. This is particularly important as this method requires less soil surface than normal farming methods and can even be used in soilless cultivation. Meanwhile, rehabilitation efforts were able to restore 400 hectares of polluted Al Karaana lagoons to their former state. The lagoons can now be used to store clean water, which can be used by local wildlife.
Qatar Vision 2030 is a program that sets environmental goals and implements strategies to reach those goals by the year 2030. According to Dr. Helmi Hamdi, a professor at Qatar University who is very familiar with Qatar Vision 2030, “The environmental pillar of [Qatar Vision] is being achieved through a number of strategies including the Qatar National Development Strategy and the ambitious Qatar National Biodiversity Strategy. Both strategies are complementary,” and will be used together to achieve goals set in 2020.
World Soil Day, established in 2002 and recognized as an official international day by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, aims to bring awareness to the problems of soil erosion and sustainability. Qatar is an enthusiastic participant in World Soil Day, and the Qatar Foundation has been active through its various subsidiaries in implementing programs that help to preserve and enrich the soil throughout the country. Over 2,000 trees have been planted as a result of a reforestation project implemented by the Qatar Foundation. Additionally, an agreement has been reached with the Qatar Red Crescent Society to plant 2.5 million trees by 2031. These trees will help to fight soil erosion and reclaim the area from the barren deserts.
In March 2022 scientists announced the launch of a brand-new technology for increasing the fertility of soil. Qatari entrepreneur and agriculturalist Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani spearheaded the development, which makes use of bacteria to grow vegetables in soil that is particularly high in saline content. While the bacteria naturally occurs in the soil, the new technology introduces more of it through a powder form or by mixing it in with water used for irrigating the plants.
The bacteria-treated soil reached the level of soil fertility found in Turkey. According to Sheik Faisal, 2023 should see the fertility levels rise even higher to match those found in European soil. The same bacteria is also being used in animal breeding, with the result being larger, stronger, and healthier animals with a higher yield of meat. It also reduces feed material consumption by half, thereby saving resources.