Qatars's Public Works Authority (Ashghal), has adopted the Qatar Sustainable Assessment System (QSAS) and the concept of sustainable developments in its public building projects.

Ashghal signed a MoU with Barwa & Qatari Diar Research Institute (BQDRI) on the provision of measures to adopt, apply and develop a sustainable building concept to create a better living environment for natives and residents.

The MOU aims to reaffirm the commitment of both organisations to preserve the environment and enhancing the concept of sustainability to ensure a healthy environmental life for future generations, through:

- Cooperation in applying the Qatar Sustainable Assessment System (QSAS) in various building projects to reduce the impacts of climate change and provide a better living environment that maintains the economic and environmental balance on one hand and the national identity of Qatar on the other.

- Contributing to research and development in environmental issues of common concern.

'Our MOU with BQDRI and the adoption of QSAS will allow Ashghal to take the lead in addressing strategic issues related to preserving Qatar's natural resources, reduction of carbon emissions, minimisation of ecological impact, and assurance of environmental quality,' stated Nasser Ali AI- Mawlawi, president of Ashghal.

'QSAS offers a lot of advantages which are not available in any other imported system. For instance, QSAS responds to urgent issues such as preserving the architectural identity of Qatar and the region, and enhancing the creative solutions to address other challenges like water scarcity and lack of non-hydrocarbon raw materials, in addition to its complete flexibility to respond to all environmental, social and economic issues of the Middle East region” added Dr Al-Horr, chairman of BQDRI.-TradeArabia News Service