A majority (53 percent) of respondents to a survey conducted by Al Sharq on new camping rules enforced by the Ministry of Environment said they disapproved of the guidelines.
Only 34 percent said they had no objections to the regulations, while a miniscule minority (13 percent) refused to offer any comment on the issue.
The daily referred the findings to the Centre for Environment Friends (CEF). Its chairman, Dr Saif Al Hajri who is also Vice-Chairman of Qatar Foundation, said people should realise that the new rules are meant for their own benefit.
Environment is people’s concern and the new guidelines issued by the environment ministry are aimed at protecting it.
Then, there is the issue of the safety of people going camping. The guidelines assure their own safety, said Al Hajri.
People who go camping to the desert or seashores are environment lovers, so why should they or some of them object when rules are put in place to protect it (environment).
The regulations are enforced by the ministry to make sure that people do not leave behind waste after camping.
Plastic materials left behind can be especially hazardous to desert climate and its animal life as they are not biodegradable.
Some people who go camping are so unconcerned and careless that they leave behind waste, which hurts the environment.
Meanwhile, the general secretary of Qatar Centre for Voluntary Activities, Yusuf Al Kazim, talked to the daily of long-term impact of these rules on environment.
“The rules implemented by the environment ministry will have long-term impact,” he said.
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