This talk will seek to highlight Qatar’s unique challenges and outline the steps that the Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future at Qatar Foundation is taking to help chart a sustainable future for the country.

Standard sustainability definitions do not apply to Qatar. Its small and desert territory means that its primary productivity is very low, and yet Qatar is the richest country in the world on a per-capita basis. How has Qatar achieved this position, and what it means for its future. What about its renewable natural resources, its biodiversity and ecosystems? Are deserts empty places only fit for driving and construction, or are they very unique ecosystems where evolution has tested living forms to their maximum?