World Cleanup Day - Ministry of Municipality to work towards hygiene services in various parts of the country

On the World Cleanup Day 2022, which falls on September 17, Minister of Municipality HE Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie affirmed Qatar's keenness in participating, along with many other countries, to emphasize the Ministry's great interest in the issue of public hygiene as a fundamental pillar towards sustainable development.

The Ministry of Municipality is working to provide hygiene services in various parts of the country, in accordance with the highest international standards and specifications, said His Excellency, also explaining that public cleanliness is not limited to the efforts and duties of a specific entity in the country, but rather it is a daily behaviour that everyone should abide by. It is the responsibility of everyone, and maintaining it is a religious duty and a shared responsibility among all institutions and members of society.

His Excellency explained that in the context of paying attention to the issue of public cleanliness and waste recycling, the Ministry is keen to issue, activate and implement various laws and legislations that contribute to achieving goals in this field, especially with regard to waste collection and the proper and safe disposal of waste in accordance with the highest international standards.

Two ministerial decisions were issued, one of them regarding solid waste sorting, obligating all institutions and concerned authorities to sort waste from the source and it will be implemented on the first of next October, and the second decision related to setting controls for the use of plastic bags and prohibiting the use of single-use bags because of their negative impact on the environment as part of the efforts of the State of Qatar to preserve the environment and its safety and achieve sustainable development.

His Excellency also referred to the integrated national program for sorting waste from the source, which was launched within the framework of achieving the objectives of the sustainable strategic plan of the ministry, highlighting the continuous efforts made by the State of Qatar in the field of recycling and treating waste and converting it into energy through an integrated national program for waste management, and the establishment of an area dedicated to factories in Al-Afja area for (50) factories, including various recycling activities.

He stated that the Ministry launched at the beginning of this year a zero waste campaign, with the aim of developing the methodology of thinking about waste management, encouraging investment in the field of recycling, and supporting community participation in this field, to improve the quality of living and sustainable development, in order to achieve Qatar National Vision 2030, which was supported by the great efforts made by the hygiene authorities in the Ministry in recent years. Despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, these efforts contributed to maintaining cleanliness and reducing negative impacts on public health and safety.

The Ministry of Municipality represented by the public services sector plays a prominent role in maintaining public cleanliness and showing the civilized image of various cities and regions in the country while hosting and holding various international and regional events. His Excellency thanked and appreciated all workers in the field of hygiene, calling on all institutions, government and private agencies and all members of society, to contribute to supporting the Ministry's efforts to maintain public cleanliness and reduce waste and work to sort it in order to improve the quality of life.

The Director of the Department of Public Hygiene at the Ministry of Municipality Moqbel Mazhour Al-Shammari, said that the World Cleanup Day is one of the most important events at the global level, which emphasizes the importance of cooperation and concerted efforts of all to maintain public hygiene and environmental health, whether at the global or national level.

He pointed out that the countries of the world are keen to celebrate this event on the third Saturday of September every year, with the aim of enhancing the value and importance of hygiene and raising awareness among all members and institutions of society, to reduce waste and reduce sources of pollution whose health and environmental damages are caused to everyone without an exception.