Mangrove conservation and regeneration initiatives in Qatar

Brief

The main objective of this project was to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current status and progress of mangrove conservation efforts carried out by the government, non-governmental organizations, and local communities in the State of Qatar from January 2010 to February 2023. The State did not introduce a mangrove forest cover first protection policy until 2006. Hence, this study has helped create a meticulous investigation on robust solutions to offset GHG emissions, such as mangrove ecosystems, as they can sequester carbon in both their biomass and soil and irrecoverable carbon sources.

Specific goals

Ecoresolve established a baseline for using remote sensing technologies to monitor mangrove ecosystems  of the State of Qatar while investigating and classifying the data acquired for environmental modelings. 

• The temporal and spatial progress of mangrove conservation efforts and disturbances to such conservation efforts. 
• Future predictions and opportunities to scale up restoration efforts assessed by the government to act against climate change mitigation and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve air quality, biodiversity, water, land use, and circular economy and waste management.

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Execution

The project conducted a systematic literature review on “mangrove conservation efforts in the state of Qatar” was carried out using peer-reviewed scientific literature and non-scientific gray literature collected from a variety of online databases (i.e., SCOPUS, Web of Science, OpenAlex, CrossRef) and search engines (Google Scholar and Google), published between January 2010 and March 2023, adopting Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis statements (PRISMA)

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Impact & Results

This project will identify research gaps concerning mangrove conservation in Qatar and provide recommendations to scale up restoration efforts. Our results suggest there should be expansion of funding opportunities forresearch and development, proper planning of mangrove rehabilitation programs,impact assessment on environmental and social aspects, improved scientificcommunication and public awareness.