Conservation efforts of the Oryx often encounter both practical and theoretical challenges. Theoretically, there is the issue of deep ecology that affects environmentalism such as the conservation of the Oryx. According to Ramachandra Guha, the central tenets of deep ecology are inapplicable to the Third World. In the context of this discussion, the Third World typifies Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Guha argues that tenets such as the focus on wilderness preservation, anthropocentrism, and biocentrism are only applicable to American environmental and cultural history.

The argument suggests that conservation efforts in Qatar are different from those in America. The cultural context in Qatar is much different from that in Western countries that introduced the theories. The dynamics of environmental conservation are dissimilar in the two regions, which makes the application of the deep ecology theory challenging in Qatar.  For instance, conservation efforts in Qatar might take a cultural or philosophical perspective, unlike in other regions that it might have a spiritual or political inclination (Guha 72). Understanding the different perspectives related to deep ecology is important to interpret the goals of conservation of the Oryx.

Another argument concerns the economic goals of mainstream environmentalism. The blog post previous to this one mentioned a sanctuary in Qatar that helps in conservation efforts of the Oryx and the economic benefits that it accrues simultaneously. Considering that the Oryx is Qatar’s national emblem, there certainly must be political issues surrounding its conservation efforts, which might border on radical environmentalism. In this case, the issue of environmental ethics emerges, which is certainly a topic worth exploring in the context of Qatar.

Certainly, there are multiple perspectives on addressing the issue. Guha’s historical and sociological perspectives introduce interesting insights about conservation. The cultural rootedness of the issue emerges based on the social and political goals of the environmental conservation efforts. For instance, does Qatar apply the sophisticated knowledge of agricultural communities, or does it solely rely on scientific and sophisticated knowledge underlined in the theory of deep ecology? Based on this, it is important to analyze Qatar’s conservation efforts from both a national and international perspective, rather than merely relying on the worldwide tenets of deep ecology. There are different variants of the issue depending on the cultural context and human-nature interactions.

The theory persuades a discussion on the intrinsic and extrinsic benefits of conservation. To what extent does the conservation of the Oryx benefit the Qatari population? What are the intrinsic and extrinsic benefits that emanate from saving the Oryx from extinction? Through this discussion, it is possible to explore the conservation efforts of other flora and fauna and inherently compare their advantages and disadvantages. For instance, is the effort that Qatar places in the conservation of the Oryx more important than that of plants facing extinction? Through this, it is possible to analyze the radical guise and preoccupation of conservation efforts.

Works Cited

Guha, Ramachandra. Radical American Environmentalism and Wilderness Preservation: A

Third World Critique. Environmental Ethics, 1989.