Qatar joins world initiative to mark Earth Hour, switches off lights

Doha: Qatar observed Earth Hour, a global initiative by switching off lights on a number of buildings of different ministries, government institutions and private firms for an hour from 8.30pm to 9.30 last night.

Earth Hour is the biggest global event that aims at creating awareness about protecting environment, global warning and issues of climate change.

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) participated the initiative by switching off lights of number of buildings including the Ministry’s headquarters at the Corniche, the buildings of environment sector, planning sector, agricultural and fishery sector, Al Shamal Municipality, Al Khor and Al Zakhira Municipality and Doha Municipality.

Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa), represented by the National Program for Conservation and Energy Efficiency (Tarsheed) organised a program at Kahramaa Awareness Park ( KAP) to observe the Earth Hour. The lights of KAP building were stitched off for an hour.

“We celebrated Earth Hour which is marked all over the world on last Saturday of March by switching off the lights of Kahramaa buildings,” Kahramaa President Eng Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari told The Peninsula.

He said that the event is a symbolic to switch off unnecessary lights and electric appliances to rationalise the consumption of electricity in a bid reduce the carbon footprint which help to protect the earth. He said under Tarsheed programme, new regulations to make air-conditioners and other electric appliances more environmental friendly and emergency efficient will be announced soon. “Tarsheed programme which aims at reducing the per capita water and electricity consumption in a bid to reduce the carbon footprint was launched in 2012,” said Al Kuwari.

He said the programme made remarkable achievements during first five years and the achievements of second five year programme will be announced during the celebration which will he held on April 15. “The projects which are being implemented under Tarsheed include the initiative for encouraging use of electric cars which was launched in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The new steps of the initiative will be announced soon,” said Al Kuwari.

Abdulaziz Ahmed Al Hammadi, Director of Energy Efficiency and Rationalization Department at Kahramaa, said that the event observed from 8:30pm to 9:30pm for an hour by switching off all unnecessary lights and electric appliances to save the electricity.

Dr Saif Alli Al Hajari, Chariman of CSR International Ambassador of Friends of Nature said that the organisation partnered with Kahramaa to create awareness among community about the conservation and electricity of water. “We are part of the event to educate people about the issues of environment so they could take their responsibility in making Qatar green and to protect the environment,” said Al Hajari.

By Sanaullah Ataullah | The Peninsula

شارك عدد من الوزارات والمؤسسات والشركات في قطر مساء اليوم السبت، في “ساعة الأرض” بإطفاء الأنوار.

ساعة الأرض هي حدث عالمي سَنوي من تنظيم الصندوق العالمي للطبيعة يتم خلاله تشجيع الأفراد والمجتمعات على إطفاء الأضواء والأجهزة الإلكترونية غير الضرورية لمدة ساعة واحدة من الساعة 8:30 حتى 9:30 -في توقيت الدولة المحلي- في يوم أحد أيام السبت في شهر مارس، وذلك لرفع الوعي بخطر التغير المناخي.

وكانت مدينَة سيدني الأسترالية هي أول من بدأت بهذه الحملة في 2007، ومنذ ذلك الحين، نمى هذا العدد ليصبح أكثر من 7000 مدينة وقرية حول العالم.

ودعت “كهرماء” جميع القطاعات للمشاركة بإطفاء الأضواء والأجهزة الكهربائية غير الضرورية لمدة ساعة واحدة من الساعة 8:30 حتى 9:30 مساء اليوم تضامناً مع العالم في “ساعة الأرض”.

وأطفأت وزارة البلدية والبيئة الأضواء بمقرها الرئيسي بكورنيش الدوحة وعدد من المباني التابعة للوزارة.

وشاركت إدارة الحدائق العامة في “ساعة الأرض” للتوعية بمخاطر التغير المناخي، كما تم إطفاء الأضواء في برج Ooredoo.