During an international conference in Doha, Qatar is making strong progress towards achieving sustainability in environmentally friendly transport plans

Doha , the fourth consecutive day the 57th Congress of the International Society of City and Regional Planners "Aisokarb" (ISOCARP) held in Doha, aimed to access plans and perceptions of cities to create a sustainable and environmentally friendly.

The agenda of the fourth and final day of the conference included a session that explores and visualizes the potential future of urban mobility, through interactive discussions that examine the proposed future studies and ways to implement them to ensure the achievement of sustainable urban mobility in Doha.

During the session, discussions were exchanged on how Doha was able to achieve advanced stages in implementing sustainable and environmentally friendly transport plans, after the Qatari government began implementing a strategy of full and gradual transition to electric buses, which aims to convert public transport buses to work with electric power by 2030.

It was also noted that Qatar has implemented a plan to switch to diesel fuel equivalent to the fifth European version of cars, which is one of the fuels that have the least impact on the environment.

Healthy life for people

The participants in the session stressed that the provision of sustainable (low carbon) transportation has become a necessity for the role of these means in enhancing the quality of life and facilitating social cohesion, as well as being cheap and flexible means that enable most people - especially in poor areas - to participate in achieving economic and social well-being, By facilitating access to education, health care and other services.

The Director of the Urban Planning Department at the Ministry of the Qatari Municipality, Engineer Abdullah Al-Karani, says that the means of transportation are to transport people, goods and commodities from one point to another, and therefore, a special transport plan is created that serves the comprehensive urban plan.

Abdullah Al-Karani stresses the need for urban or mobility plans to take into account the expected changes and crises (AJ news)Al-Karani stresses the need for urban or mobility plans to take into account the expected changes and crises (AJ news)

Al-Karani explained - in a statement to AJ news Net - that any urban plan includes several dialogues aimed at providing a healthy life for humans, pointing out that this plan includes other aspects, including providing public transportation and roads and setting standards for preserving the environment in addition to taking into account future matters, such as climate change. And expected crises, whether regional or global, such as the Corona pandemic crisis.

The Director of the Urban Planning Department at the Ministry of Municipality of Qatar indicates that any plan must have sufficient flexibility and be able to adapt to changes in the future.

Al-Karani added that the countries participating in the 57th Cities and Regions Conference - including Qatar - have had plans and visions for years. Thus, the conference was an opportunity for each country to present its goals and visions and to exchange discussions and practical and academic experiences regarding them.

Planning for changes

The Director of the Urban Planning Department at the Ministry of the Qatari Municipality points out that each country has its goals and dreams, but their achievement is focused on understanding the data that each country faces, explaining that the challenge facing the Gulf countries, for example, is the rise in temperature, and therefore every planner must take into account these conditions and deal with them. This is what such conferences and events offer.

Al-Karani stressed that choosing the city of "Msheireb" to host the conference was the best example and a message from the State of Qatar to all participants, to show its ability and efforts to achieve sustainability and that it always strives for the best, noting that Doha's hosting of the conference a year before the establishment of the World Cup sends messages - through the planners. The world leaders at the conference - on how Qatari institutions plan and harmonize with each other in completing the work to host an upcoming global event, the 2022 World Cup.

Engineer Ali Abdullah says that Qatar is a pioneer in the field of plans, whether related to urban planning or sustainable transportation (AJ news)Engineer Ali Abdullah confirmed that Qatar is a pioneer in the field of sustainable transport plans (AJ news)

For his part, the former head of the Urban Planning and Development Authority in the Ministry of Municipality of Qatar, Engineer Ali Abdullah, says that the State of Qatar is a pioneer in the field of plans, whether related to urban planning or sustainable transportation, noting that the great urban renaissance that Qatar is witnessing is built on strong foundations, whether These relate to infrastructure or roads and are in line with the goals of sustainable development.

Abdullah added - in a statement to Al Jazeera Net - that the holding of the 57th Conference of the International Association of City and Region Planners in Doha is an opportunity to introduce the development and large projects implemented by Qatar, especially in the field of transportation, including the implementation of the "Rail" project (metro), roads, bicycle paths, and walking. And green spaces scattered all over the place.

He pointed out that although the transport plan for the State of Qatar has not been fully implemented, what has been achieved on the ground is a great achievement, considering that the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will be a strong opportunity to test the comprehensive plan, whether in the field of urban planning or transportation, Where Doha is scheduled to receive hundreds of thousands of fans.