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Masoud Al Marri, Director, Biotechnology Center, Ministry of Environment, ahead of an upcoming GCC Workshop on “Agricultural and Environmental Biotechnology Applications.“

Qatar has been using biotechnological advances to grow vegetation that can survive despite the dry desert heat, Al Marri told reporters during a press conference yesterday.

The Peninsula reports:

“We have a vision to change Qatar into a green land using biotechnology. In fact, we have already started a pilot project in Dukhan area where we are growing wild trees which does not require much water and resist extreme climatic conditions such as high temperature and salinity,” Al Marri said…

Al Marri said that the Centre is also studying several other varieties of plants which can sustain harsh climatic conditions and could be irrigated by treated-water as Qatar has plenty of it.

This is an interesting step, especially given that Qatar will host the next United Nations Climate Change Summit - and has gotten flak for having the world’s highest greenhouse emissions per capita.

Thoughts?