Qatar's agriculture push risks further groundwater depletion
Groundwater depletion is raising environmental concerns over the long-term sustainability of Qatar’s ambitious self-sufficiency policy.
Qatar's leading news outlets recently reported that local agricultural production has jumped by 400% since a political and economic blockade was imposed on the emirate by its Arab neighbors in 2017.
And within a few years, 40% to 50% of fresh products could be produced locally, Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani, assistant undersecretary for agriculture and fisheries at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, told Al-Monitor.
It is widely acknowledged that the country's staggering efforts to strengthen its farming industry is one of the political responses to the blockade. Thani said the blockade caused Qatar to realize its vulnerability when it comes to the food supply.
However, the Gulf state faces major obstacles in this regard. For example, it was recently ranked as the most water-stressed country in the world. It is also one of the few countries with no permanent rivers as rainfall is extremely unpredictable and highly erratic.
