The Qur’anic Botanic Garden (QBG) recently launched the African Women’s Diplomatic Garden, a first in the country, in celebration of Qatar Environment Day.
To mark the event, a tree-planting ceremony was held in the presence of ambassadors from ten African countries, members of the African Women’s Diplomatic Group, and senior Qatari dignitaries, as well as local community leaders.
QBG Project Director Fatima Saleh Al Khulaifi said Qatar has dedicated a day to spreading greater awareness of the need to protect the environment and the special tree-planting ceremony is an example of QBG’s commitment – as part of Qatar Foundation’s wider mission – to promote environmental values in Qatar and support an important pillar of the country’s national vision.
She said that through the Garden, they will be able to highlight the importance of uniting globally around the common goal of environmental conservation.
We also look forward to strengthening our cultural relations with the countries represented here and working together to cultivate the garden.
Launched in the QBG Pilot Garden at Education City, the African Women’s Diplomatic Garden is part of the QBG Ghars tree-planting campaign, and aims to highlight the importance of green conservation initiatives in Qatar. Emphasising a global sustainability message to conserve the environment, the garden incorporates a variety of saplings representing several African countries, including Mali, Djibouti, South Africa, and Senegal.
President of the African Women’s Diplomatic Group, Anika Moosa, spouse of the Ambassador of South Africa in Qatar, said that the planting of trees signifies life, as trees support the environment.
In keeping with the Ghars initiative, the African Garden is a means of building that relationship through the planting of trees and ‘greening’ the environment.
The Qur’anic Botanic Garden, according to Moosa, plays an important role in advancing education in the country to leave an everlasting legacy. She said that planting these trees is a symbolic gesture to ensure that Africa remains a part of that legacy.
We are also pleased at the opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations and we hope it will represent a garden of friendship between Africa and Qatar, with all 54 African countries represented eventually.
The launch, which also featured cultural shows from Africa and Qatar, concluded with a tour of the QBG Botanical Museum.
To date, over 1,800 trees have been planted as part of the Ghars campaign, which aims to cultivate 2,022 trees by the commencement of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
QBG is a member of Qatar Foundation and engages the local community through diverse year-round educational activities designed to encourage responsibility and respect towards the environment, promote the value of planting trees in the Islamic religion and preserve Qatar’s natural resources and botanic diversity.