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Representing Nature at the National Museum of Qatar

My case study explores the representation of nature in the museum’s display of the National Museum in nature. In recent years, environmentalism has become quite an emotive and political consideration. Museums are among the best locations to portray the various aspects of nature and integrate environmental concerns. The National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ), which opened in March 2019, is a lively and immersive space that Qatar’s rich heritage and culture. 

The museum shows a commitment to sustainable development and the connection of people with the natural world. Visitors can learn about and experience aspects of the land, sea, and sky in the exhibitions, programmes, and outdoor spaces that it provides. This makes NMoQ interesting from an Environmental Humanities perspective. 

NMoQ’s award-winning design shows sustainability immediately a visitor walks into the museum. Sustainability is a paramount term in the context of Environmental Humanities. The museum accurately keeps it green and promotes an energy-efficient concept. For instance, it has a ‘desert rose’ design that serves as an insulator for its façade, which is an energy-efficient method that eliminates the need to use extensive energy in cooling down the 1.5 million square feet site. The rosette formation of crystals found in hot arid climates is a signifier of environmental considerations in creating a sustainable museum. Reducing the amount of direct sunlight that hits the façade of the building significantly reduces indoor cooling needs. 

In addition, it promotes energy efficiency by providing eco-friendly and electrical vehicles as a means of transport within the museum. Visitors with environmentally friendly cars often receive priority parking at the facility. In addition, it provides bicycle tracks, which is a move that is beneficial to the environment because there are no emissions. This is not only evidence of sustainable operations, but also an act of environmental sustainability. Importantly, the building promotes recycling, which is an important Environmental Humanism term. NMoQ has derived more than 50% of its building materials from recycled sources. 

Through this, it reduced the amount of energy required in the acquisition of building materials, which proves that it had environmental considerations even before its construction. Besides, it diverted most of the waste generated during construction away from landfills. Such sustainable practices have continued even after the completion of the building, which shows its efforts towards environmental sustainability. 

Some of the awards it has received for its efforts in environmentalism include the Green Key Certification for sustainability, a 4 Star GSAS (Global Sustainability Assessment System) sustainability rating, and a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold. In addition, its recognition in the International Beautiful Buildings Green Apple Awards 2022 and endorsement by Time Magazine among 2019’s 100 places to visit are evidence of NMoQ successful sustainability and environmental practices.

Bibliography 

Pallagud, Cassandra. NMoQ first museum in Qatar and Middle East to be awarded Green Key Certification for sustainability. 19 May 2022. 

https://www.iloveqatar.net/news/community/ten-sustainability-facts-you-probably-didnt know-about-the-national-museum-of-qatar# 

Meinhold, Bridgette. Jean Nouvel Unveils Sustainably-Designed National Museum of Qatar. 2010. 

https://inhabitat.com/jean-nouvel-unveils-sustainably-designed-national-museum-of-qatar / 

Serbedzija, Milica. All About the National Museum of Qatar: Museum with a Heart. Design Communication. 10 July 2019. 

https://www.designcommunication.net/architecture/all-about-the-national-museum-of-qat ar-museum-with-a-heart

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Sustainability and Luxury

Qatar, a small peninsula in the gulf region, rich in natural and man made resources, has been developing and modernizing by the hour. To make sure that development remains uninterrupted, the nation has set a number of goals for itself, known as the Qatar National Vision 2030 which aims for social, economic and sustainable growth and development in the country. One of the most important pillars of growth apart from social and economic development mentioned in the National Vision is the emphasis on sustainability in the country. This is evident from taking steps towards using renewable energy for power generation, building environmentally friendly cities, setting up watchdog organisations to help manage the nation’s sustainable approaches and building infrastructure that has a minimal impact on the environment. 

Moreover, as a center of fast-paced development, Qatar has been the oasis of a luxurious lifestyle. Luxury remains an important part of life for many in Qatar as it helps them establish a certain reputation and position in the society. This can include from driving expensive cars to fancy vacations. However these luxuries have often been known to come with an environmental cost. For instance, the diesel engine powered Land Cruiser which has often been a prominent status symbol has been ranked by Forbes as the fourth most environmentally ‘meanest’ vehicle. However, to maintain its status as the oasis of luxury alongside being able to achieve its sustainability goals, Qatar has been taking measures to make sure sustainability and luxury both go hand in hand. This can be prominently seen in the building of smart cities such as Msheirb Downtown and Lusail which have been designed to be earth friendly and to minimise environmental damage. Furthermore, this can be noticed in the use of hybrid buses and carbon efficient trams and metro trains in the public transportation system. The construction of football stadiums with recycled materials with its decontructibility has just been another feather in the nation’s cap for its efforts towards sustainable development. 

Howere, despite the effort towards achieving sustainable growth, living a luxurious lifestyle remains at the heart of the culture in the Qatari nation. Expensive cars, excessive lightening on residential property, building of artificial islands, a VIP ‘gold class’ section in public transportation, unending construction for development and the heavy reliance on natural gas for power generation as well as economic development is always going to be essential for the Qatari culture and society as these are the luxuries that have helped Qatar create its image as the oasis of luxury in the deserts of the Middle East. 

Thus, in the posts ahead this blog category will be exploring the relationship between sustainability and luxury in Qatar. It’ll try to explain if new standards of luxuries are being set with sustainable approaches towards development. It will be looking at the future prospects of luxury development without environmental damage. Moreover, how can the culture of luxurious lifestyles help minimize its environmental impact?

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Non-Invasive Archaeology

Qatar’s Al-Zubarah, residing immediately on the beach of gulf, experiences natural risks of decomposition and saltation over centuries, leading to consistent archaeological preserving interventions. Zubarah is Qatar’s most substantial archaeological site, and it is considered a cultural landscape, attributing to its rich cultural and natural heritage. Archaeological excavations at the site are done ‘delicately’ without destroying the centuries-old artifact in which archaeologists maximize environment-preserving excavating techniques while avoiding implementing ‘invasive’ technology even if it is necessary for studying ancient material culture. However, the main interest presented in this case is a human-centric one where human culture, tourism, history studies are the locus of archaeological preservation.

As intensive ethical frameworks and moral virtue ethics protect humans’ autonomies, contemporary environmental ethical frameworks emerged to embrace nonhuman entities value. The interconnectedness and inseparability of humans and other life forms in multispecies spaces led environmental scholars to reconsider anthropocentric approaches to environmental discourse, suggesting that nature possesses value that goes beyond human purposes. In fact, you are generating an environmental crisis in which nonhuman subjects (animals, landscapes, ecosystems, and microorganisms) are only considered through their relationships with humans. When nonhuman entities are not intrinsically appreciated, then humanity has failed nature. From this perspective, conservation actions in the Al-Zubarah should not essentially should not essentially serve humanly institutions but necessary practices to reduce risk destruction from uncontrollable natural processes, for its own intrinsic value.

One way to look at non-invasive archaeological work at the Al-Zubarah is through care ethics. Care ethics gives value to moral characteristics that are identified as feminine (empathy and care for others) to be centered at the heart of environmental ethics (Gardiner & Thompson, 2019). This ideology suggests that absence of moral regard for nonhuman entities and other ecological systems is the fundamental cause of environmental damage and destruction. Ethics of care should be integrated into modern conceptions of justice, institutions, and more general human interactions. In an interdependent world where humans cannot function without nature’s presence, caring for our surroundings is the center of human flourishment and wellbeing. That is not valuing nature based on its instrumental value but its intrinsic value, independent of human purposes. Care can be expanded from a small-scale, anthropocentric view to a global, biocentric one, especially in terms of how human beings view the fight against natural disasters. Although the Al-Zubarah is exactly a natural site per se but natural life is present in its surrounding. it not merely an aesthetically pleasing cultural fort for humans, but it houses sparse vegetation like seagrasses. Thus, humans have a responsibility to its protection from harmful external influences, whether it is threatening natural processes or invasive archaeological technologies.

 Bibliography

1- Harriet Ritvo; Invasion/Invasive. Environmental Humanities 1 May 2017; 9 (1): 171–174. doi: https://doi.org/10.1215/22011919-3829190

2- Krupp, F., Boer, B., & Sloane, B. (2014). Khor Al-Adaid nature reserve: Qatar’s globally unique inland sea. World Heritage Reviiew. Retrieved September 1, 2022, from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000227959.

3- Gardiner, S. M., & Thompson, A. (2019). Caring Relations. In The Oxford Handbook of Environmental Ethics (pp. 234–247). essay, Oxford University Press.

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Animal Cruelty in Qatar

For as long as the residents of Qatar can remember, the normalization and prevalence of animal cruelty within the country has always been a prominent issue. Notorious examples include the following: the ‘pet souk’ in Souq Waqif, mass killings of street cats subsidized or ensured fully by the government, the standardization of owning exotic pets, the lack of legal action towards animal persecutors and much more. It is also important to note the absence of animal shelters in Qatar, and the lack of governmental intervention in the preservation of animal welfare. The Qatari government moreover fails to subsidize the privately owned veterinary clinics and centers dispersed around the country, and therefore a simple trip to the vet can be financially debilitating for distressed pet owners. What this often leads to is the neglect of harmless animals that are then forced to withstand the merciless and scorching heat of Qatar’s desert weather. This large-scale neglect towards animal welfare, unfortunately, reinforces the notion that animals are merely inferior to humans and it is hence illegitimate to punish individuals for the ill-treatment of a ‘sub-human’. This reality poses a myriad of questions channeled towards the Qatari government in conversation with the theme of environmental humanities, morality, human and non human relations and the channeling of responsibility and blame. 

Qatar’s case study functions as an exemplar or a benchmark to study human and non human relations within the region. This is highly relevant to our course, the environmental humanities, as it depicts the inner human dialogue with other ‘lesser’ species. For example, what does the normalization of animal cruelty say about how we, as a society, feel about animals? Do we lack genuine empathy or a genuine interest in the particular case of animal cruelty? Why do governmental and authoritative bodies, especially the Ministry of Municipality and Environment’s Department of Animal Resources, lack the need to showcase solidarity or even compassion towards the animals residing within the country? What has been previously done in the past to minimize or completely terminate animal cruelty? These questions in their nature function to address systemic flaws and the whole rejection of categorizing animals as legitimate victims. Our current reality in which the pet souk remains to be in business, exotic pets remain to be the norm and moreover provide the owner with a status symbol, and veterinary clinics remain to be extremely pricey, ultimately illustrate the continual passivity governments demonstrate towards such horrid conditions. Is it merely due to the commercial benefits, or the lack of commercial losses, that the government gains that plays a role in this passivity? Or is it an issue that transcends into the spectrum of morality and moral obligations? With that said, do we lack morals due to our conscious apathy towards said issues? Are we, as the people of the country, or the government, as the legitimate establishment, to blame? 

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Quranic Botanic Gardens

Along the paths of Education City’s Oxygen Park lays the Quranic Botanic Gardens (QBG), home to a generous display of plants and vegetation mentioned in the Holy Quran and those native to Qatar. Operating since September 2008, the Garden currently holds sixty plant species, twenty of which are referenced from the Holy Quran (Elgharib and Saleh 59). This number is expected to increase to include plants mentioned in the Hadith and Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad.

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (par. 4) identifies five primary functions of the QBG:

  1. The Garden has a vital role in the environment since it seeks to protect the variety of plants gathered from all over the world from any potential risks they might face.
  2. The Garden’s year-round educational activities aim to instil a sense of civic duty and reverence for the natural world, highlight the importance of tree-planting, and aid in protecting Qatar’s flora and fauna.
  3. The Garden serves a scientific function by providing a place to study the plants from horticulture, conservation, biotechnology, medicine, and socioeconomics perspectives.
  4. QBG aims to play a cultural role by reviving long-lost customs. The Garden highlights traditional plant usage, the value of plants in human society, and the long-term viability of various plant-based practices.
  5. The QBG serves as a recreational hub for locals and visitors alike, intending to become a primary destination for families to spend quality time together and gain knowledge through participation in various events.

An unprecedented pace of plant diversity loss is currently occurring, which harms ecosystems. Due to several destructive practices, such as overharvesting and overexploitation, environmental pollution, destructive agricultural and forestry practices, urbanisation, global climate change, land-use changes, exotic invasive species, and others, about one-third of the world’s vascular plant species are in danger of going extinct (Chen and Sun 184). As Heywood (309) explains, it is therefore essential to develop integrated conservation strategies like the QBG that focus their resources on plant research and preservation and educate the public about the diversity of plant species found worldwide.

Botanical gardens, like the QBG, have a unique role in promoting public awareness of climate change and environmental conservation. They offer resources such as a variety of plant species flourishing in their native habitats, historical records, and knowledgeable personnel, and they draw a lot of volunteers and tourists (Cannon and Kua 334). However, is engaging the public in sustainability through interactive instruction in a botanical garden a useful educational model? Additionally, it is now commonly acknowledged that humans have evolved into a geomorphic force altering all of Earth’s biogeochemical processes at a biospheric scale. Does the word “nature” continue to have a semantic significance as a primary signifier in both expert and lay discourse if this is the case for the QBG? Why do many of the world’s top academic institutions and educators insist that comprehending earth systems and cutting-edge technologies, as well as the cultural aspects of society like the religious and philosophical traditions that brought us to this point in history, will be necessary to address the environmental and social challenges we face in the future? Lastly, some experts contend that we are currently experiencing a fresh round of mass extinction brought on by human activity, endangering the planet’s biological diversity and causing various ecological disasters. How can research on non-human species in places like the QBG influence how people react to these potential dangers?

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Local Agriculture in Qatar

Qatar’s ever growing economy and their extensive routes taken to become a more independent country have become ever so present after the start of the blockade. This immediately led Qatar into facing fast decisions into developing local agriculture practices that will satisfy the needs of consumers locally. Hence the start of the produce company “Baladna”, which is now the main source of dairy and other products locally. With this fast growing successful agricultural project comes along a set of new opportunities as a community socially, economically and environmentally, but there are also disadvantages. On a positive note, there was the economic growth contributed by the Baladna farms, less costs for the country as food imports are needed less, as well as export plans that would benefit Qatar’s economy. Moreover the social benefits, such as being able to see the farms that locally produce our dairy products, the products are fresh as they are local and distributed in a timely manner, Where it also allowed Qatar to prove that its capable of relying on itself and being independent especially after facing the crisis of shortage in many necessities during the start of the blockade but within no time, Qatar was able to overcome this obstacle. However this can also be an issue as there are less food choices as the country is limited to their own food products, as well as the concern of the food quality as they tend to not be as good as crops were when they were imported. When examining these agricultural protocols and practices, specifically the importing of crops, many environmental risks are posed which in turn implicate the country’s economy, culture and autocratic nature. Crop conversion increases the risk of nitrogen pollution within the soil, this happens as a result of over-fertilization and chemical preservation augmenting the concentration of pollutants in the soil and spiking nitrogen levels in said crops. Aside from the emission of ammonia into the atmosphere, nitrogen pollution can alter the domestic environment by adversely impacting the rest of the fertile agricultural land. Qatar has invested its efforts into becoming independent and self-sufficient however the unpropitious environmental circumstances can stand in the way. If practices such as importing crops cause long term impacts on the Qatar’s produce it can limit the country’s economic growth by limiting the natural resources accessible for the country for trade and self sufficiency, obligating the country to resume importing food produced elsewhere. Another adverse effect due to a suffering environment is a decrease in tourism rates, limiting Qatar’s cultural and economic progression. Therefore it is crucial that the country employs self-sufficient agricultural methods while keeping the environment into consideration. A positive method for agricultural self sufficiency that Qatar has employed however is the construction of dozens of greenhouses that only use organic fertilizers and mimic the climates fit for certain crops using innovation and technology. Even though amendments are made to existing methods in favor of the environment, the country’s strategy remains anthropocentric in many ways, as the interests of economic progression, culture and society, and political advancement are at the forefront of their agenda.

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Artificial Islands of Qatar

It is interesting to talk about places like The Pearl or Banana Island in Qatar if only because both places are fun and luxurious to visit for an evening out or a vacation within the country itself. I say this from experience as I have happy memories from both places. However, these places are interesting to talk about from an Environmental Humanities point of view too. If we break down the concept of an island every step of the way while thinking about everything that we know about them, we can think of several different subjects regarding the Environmental Humanities and questions we can have. The first step can be to simply think about what comes to mind when you think about an island. Even the word ‘natural’ is something that is important to think about, and one can think about what it means for an island to be something that is ‘natural’. Where do the associations of islands to other things come from, and how do the associations change if the islands are artificial? These topics are some of the ones that I might choose to answer as I write more posts on artificial islands in Qatar.

In fact, many new topics can come about when artificial islands and Qatar are connected to one another. What is particular to Qatar in terms of ‘natural’ and why might artificial islands like The Pearl and Banana Island be something that is wanted? Some primary sources that I can use to discuss these subjects are the Banana Island website and see what is mentioned in the website about islands. If there is nothing mentioned about islands, then that can be a different subject to write about. The words used to advertise Banana Island on the website itself can also be contrasted with the kinds of things said about it on a different primary source, like for instance this CNN travel article about it. Looking at what words different sources use to describe Banana Island or The Pearl helps us understand what purpose these different sources have in discussing artificial islands in Qatar and what they would want to say about them. 

Going into this project, I expect that much of what I know about islands, as well as The Pearl and Banana Island are going to change. It would be interesting to compare this post with future ones and compare what I think about islands right now to what I will know about their significance in all the posts that come after this one. First and foremost, and like I mentioned earlier, islands and the artificial ones in Qatar are fun to think about mainly because much of the media around islands illustrates beauty. In many ways, the ideas around islands can be summated with the word ‘vacation.’ A secondary source I might use to talk about this subject and that would most probably be one of the things that changes my connection to islands is the book Elsewhere: A Journey Into Our Age of Islands by Alastair Bonnett. All theories about Environmental Humanities that I will apply to this case study will be explained, and we can see if the case study might not act as a flawless exemplification of such theories, or if it can and why. My memories of visiting these two places will also be an interesting thing to compare with both the primary and secondary sources. 

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Artificial Reefs in Qatar

In an attempt to preserve and protect the country’s biodiversity, Qatar’s Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Qatargas, and Qatar University have launched a joint initiative to build artificial coral reef habitats. This project entails the relocation of coral reefs and the planting of artificial coral reefs in precise locations. In the words of the active head of environmental and regulatory affairs, “The programme aims at increasing spaces for marine habitats of the country, protecting coral reefs and support the scientific research of QU laboratory in growing artificial coral reefs” (Abdallah). In this case study, I look at Qatar’s efforts to preserve ocean biodiversity by creating artificial coral reefs, highlighting the methods, reasons, and consequences of such projects.

While the specific roles of each partner are not directly outlined, the project is divided into four distinct phases: the first is choosing a suitable location through environmental evaluation studies; the second is constructing an artificial coral reef and expertly deploying it in the water; the third is moving live coral reefs to the chosen location; the fourth is reporting on the project’s progress, the response of marine life to the locations, and the growth of coral reefs (Abdallah). One prominent implication of such a project is the question of whether it is permissible to alter nature. Does tampering with nature to preserve it change the moral stakes? The philosophical debate of preserving vs altering nature becomes critical in this case, where we may wonder if there is a third alternative of “altering to preserve” nature, as in Qatar’s case.

Another follow-up implication is that this project entails a form of invasion. The artificial coral reefs that will replace the natural reefs raise questions about what we perceive as “nature” or the “natural” by extending what we may consider as wilderness to non-natural localities. If what we consider as nature is simply nonhuman creations, then we may be in a predicament over whether or not manmade reefs count as “nature,” but if not, then what are the boundaries of “nature” or the “natural”? Similarly, an initiative of this form, and with such ambitions, implies an important sense of techno-optimism.

Faced with the dilemma of rapidly declining ocean biodiversity, damaged coral reefs, and a potential 30% decrease in fish catch potential (Doha News), the actors in this case, and mainly the Municipality of Environment and Climate Change, chose an approach that perhaps minimizes or excludes any economic losses for them. Rather than targeting the root of the problem by decreasing CO2 emissions and oil dependence, the agents involved opted for a more technologically reliant response. This is possibly indicative of the willingness, or lack thereof, of actors within the Gulf region, but also globally, to incur losses in the process of transition.

Finally, the participation of Qatargas is also a significant element of this project. The involvement of the Municipality of Environment and Climate Change is to a certain degree self-explanatory, the involvement of Qatar University is in support of the scientific research it has been conducting, but there’s no real obvious reason for the involvement of an energy company in this initiative. This raises the concern of oil or energy as a modulator of society and makes the role of Qatargas essential to examine, in order to get the complete image of the form and consequences of this initiative. Overall, through an examination of this project from an environmental humanities perspective, this case study aims to explore different aspects of this initiative through the scope of varying theories and themes discussed within environmental literature to gain a broader understanding of the potential benefits, but also some questions that arise morally, philosophically, and ecologically.

Works Cited

“While Artificial Reefs Generally Enhance Local Economies, they Can Have Both Positive and Negative Effects on Ecosystems.” Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, 13 June 2011, https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/artificialreefs/effects.html

Abdallah, Hala. “What’s Being Done to Protect Qatar’s Coral Reefs.” Doha News, 21 Nov. 2021, https://dohanews.co/whats-being-done-to-protect-qatars-coral-reefs/. 

Ritvo, Harriet. “Invasion/Invasive.” Environmental Humanities, vol. 9, no. 1, May 2017, pp. 171-174. 

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Modernity, Migrant Labor, and the Environment

My case study is focused on the curation of urban spaces in Qatar and how they are modeled after Western notions and ideals of modernity and progress. Particularly, I will be taking a look at the incorporation of “nature” within these spaces and the idea that it is the Other – something the audience or visitors can opt in and out of – rather than a part of the daily human experience. Additionally, I will be examining how the excessive exploitation of resources and human labor is affecting both the environment and workers from the Global South, referencing Bergthaller’s Fossil Freedoms to critique the notion of industrial progress as providing freedom for all, especially in a state like Qatar that is built off of exploitation of migrant labor. Through mine and other people’s first-hand experiences in these spaces, I will discuss these multidimensional aspects of interacting with “nature” and the “environment” within Qatar. I also hope to address the distinction made between “artificial” and “organic” encounters with nature and the environment, and why it is that there is a supremacy associated with organic encounters. Another concern of mine in this project will be the disparate burden and responsibility placed on different nation-states based on their geopolitical status within the world. To put it simply, why should Qatar be criticized for striving to achieve the ideal of modernity and progress using the same methods, the same means to the same ends, that Western nations have been doing for centuries? There is also the consideration of the added pressure of being deemed “backward” for not having achieved the same goal while simultaneously being exploited for oil and being disadvantaged by virtue of it. Is Qatar merely imitating the standard set by colonial empires? What does the experience of “deterritorialization” as defined by Heise lend to our conversation on climate action in Qatar? What does it mean to be anti-colonial and anti-capitalist for the sake of mitigating the effects of climate change in a world that still strongly prizes the colonial and capitalist mindset? 

The plethora of concerns and questions raised here will seek to examine what the present situation in Qatar looks like with regard to climate change and human encounters with the environment and answer questions of what, ideally, it ought to look like, looking forward to a world that prizes better relationships between the human and the environment as well as that of humans in relation to other humans.

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Pearl Fishing in Qatar

Qatar’s history of pearl fishing is quite rich and significant as it used to be one of the most important export goods of the region and was central to the local economy and culture. The pearl fishing industry of Qatar helped the region establish trades with far off regions such as Europe, East Asia, Africa, etc, through the use of the iconic dhow boats of Qatar. The pearl fishing industry also was responsible for the relocation of locals from the deserts to the coastal areas as the pearl fishing and trading industry which is still evident till present day as the majority of the populated cities of Qatar lie on the eastern coast. However, Qatar’s pearling export declined with the rise of ‘cultured pearls’ from Japan which were cheaper and more sought after rather than natural pearls. Despite the decline in pearl fishing in the region it still plays an important role in the culture of the people as it is a significant part of the history of the region. Hence, in my blog I will be discussing the socioeconomic importance of pearl fishing and how it helped shape Doha as a major port city and capital. Some interesting topics to explore are how the pearl fishing industry impacted the local demographics and social hierarchies. I would also like to explore how the relationship between the people and the sea as a whole played a main role in the development of the local culture and building an appreciation for the Arabian sea. The National Museum of Qatar has dedicated an entire exhibition showcasing the history of pearl fishing and its impacts on the lives of the people living at the coasts. It shows the vibrant and lively nature of the cities as a result of the region being a major exporter of valuable pearls which led to a lot of wealth and prosperity in the region. I will explore the historical significance of pearl fishing by using the museum as a primary source of information for my blog posts. I will also be looking at secondary sources, for example Fletcher and Carter’s essay “Mapping the Growth of an Arabian Gulf Town: The Case of Doha, Qatar” where they explore how the city of Doha was planned as a result of its economic and cultural development. Through exploring these sources I intend to argue the relationship between the environment and the people of Qatar and how it has helped shape an entire region’s culture and had an impact on the environment itself.

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