The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change announced the end of this year’s winter camping season on 2 May. Deadline for the removal of camp sites is until 14 May.

During a press conference, the Ministry praised the cooperation of camp owners during the camping season, which lasted this year for six months. The Ministry also noted the cooperation of various ministries and institutions in the country regarding procedures and requirements for maintaining security, safety and public health for all camps, which contributed to the success of this year’s camping season.

Director of the Public Relations Department Farhoud Hadi Al Hajri said that the Ministry, as part of its plans to modernise the winter camping season in the coming years, will launch a questionnaire to survey the opinion of campers about the 2022 camping season. The survey should be filled out before refunding the security deposit. The result of the survey will be announced at a later date.

Camping season evaluation

Within the framework of cooperation between the Ministry and the scientific institutions in the country, a brief preliminary study will be conducted with Qatar University. The study will focus on the impact and evaluation of camps during the camping season, and on the environment from social and environmental perspectives.

The study will address the negative effects of the camping season on the environment, including impacts on meadows, plants and wild animals, coasts and beaches, and the impact of camp waste and sewage on the environment during the camping season, the migration of birds, the impact of camp waste and sanitation, and the impact of winter camping on the movement and reproduction of living creatures, especially the campers’  non-compliance with environmental requirements in this regard.

The study will include a survey of the campers opinion and their suggestions to reduce the effects of negative practices during this season, suggestions for suitable periods and areas for camping, and monitoring public opinions on the mechanism for selecting the current camps.

The study aims to involve citizens in choosing what suits them regarding the winter camping season, as the Ministry believes in the importance of popular participation and transparency in all matters related to camping.

Regarding the efforts of the Ministry during this year’s winter camping season, Assistant Director of the Department of Natural Reserves and Vice Chairman of the Winter Camping Organizing Committee, Salem Hussain Al Safran, said that since the start of winter camping in November, about 395 tonnes of waste have been removed from 1,626 camps, with 305 containers provided for this purpose. This is in cooperation with the Ministry of Municipality.

He called to dismantle and remove all camp sites within the deadline and cautioned the public that specialised environmental teams will carry out inspections and follow-up operations after this date. Legal action will be taken against any violations.


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