The National Training Course on the use of nuclear technologies to enrich agricultural research to achieve sustainable food security in Qatar, organized by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), began here today and will continue until the 16th of November.

The aim of the course is to raise the capacity of researchers and staff of the Agricultural Research Department on plant breeding, plant physiology, histological propagation of date palm blossoms, methods of detection of modified plants and study of variability between mother plants and newly developed plants.

HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment for Agriculture and Fisheries Affairs, Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser Al-Thani, said that under the wise leadership, the ministry is exerting all efforts to achieve food security, protect the environment of Qatar, preserve its natural resources and keep abreast of regional and global changes and developments in the fields of agricultural research and environmental sustainability.

He pointed out that the ministry’s objective is to achieve food security and environmental sustainability to realize its strategy 2017-2022 and Qatar National Vision 2030, especially as the environment and its components are a vital element of the national strategy and one of the four pillars of Qatar vision.

HE Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser Al-Thani, in his speech delivered on his behalf by Hamad Al Shammari, Deputy Director of the Agricultural Research Department at the Ministry, said that the accomplishments of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment are only an interpretations of the guidance of the wise leadership, which gives the environment great attention so that the country’s food security has become closely linked to development.

For her part, Head of Genetic Resources Department, at the Agricultural Research Department Aisha Dasmal Al Kuwari stressed the importance of the Ministry’s efforts for the achievement of a number of goals, most importantly food security, agricultural research, environmental protection and natural balance through comprehensive and sustainable development for the benefit of future generations according to Qatar National Vision.

Al Kuwari said that , the Ministry adopts many agricultural and environmental projects and programs to protect the Qatari environment and to develop and sustain its genetic resources, in addition to achieving food security and preparing draft laws and finding appropriate solutions to all environmental, and agricultural problems and also to cooperate with countries in the region and the world through the ratification of the agricultural and environmental conventions and protocols.

Al Kuwari noted that one of the programs and projects carried out by the Genetic Resources Department in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the project ‘Enrichment of Genetic Diversity and Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources of Qatar using Nuclear Techniques and Related Technologies” , considering it as one of the promising projects to improve some wild plant genetic resources to benefit from agriculture and contribute to food security.

Expert on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Dr Abdulbagi Mukhtar Al Ghanem , who is also the officer of Qatar State’s Project on the use of atomic energy to improve genetic diversity in cultivated and wild plants, told Qatar news agency (QNA), that the objective of the project is to build the capacity of Qataris experts and train them on the peaceful uses of atomic energy to develop some types of wild crops, and trees such as palm trees, and other target plants in the Qatari environment to improve their genetic diversity, and other uses such as salinity, drought, animal and human feeding.

He explained that the duration of implementation of the project is three years, and that the current phase focuses on capacity building while the next phase will focus on production and application, pointing out that through this project the IAEA has brought some equipment for national laboratories in Qatar that can help in its implementation.

Dr Abdulbagi Mukhtar Al Ghanem praised Qatar’s great cooperation with the IAEA , and the State’s support for the Agency’s projects at the national and the international levels. The project would add a lot to bilateral cooperation, he said.

Source: Fana News