Qatar Environment - 2024

Environment - current issues

air, land, and water pollution are significant environmental issues; limited natural freshwater resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities; other issues include conservation of oil supplies and preservation of the natural wildlife heritage

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Climate

arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Land use

agricultural land: 5.6% (2018 est.)

arable land: 1.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 4.3% (2018 est.)

forest: 0% (2018 est.)

other: 94.4% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 99.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.66% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 59.04 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 103.26 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 8.34 megatons (2020 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 1,000,990 tons (2012 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 30,030 tons (2014 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 3% (2014 est.)

Major aquifers

Arabian Aquifer System

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 530 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial: 400 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural: 320 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources

60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)