Sea dunes, Qatar

The Qatar Peninsula is a vast rocky outcrop surrounded on three sides by the warm waters of the Persian Gulf (also know as the Arabian Gulf). The country is linked to the south to the much bigger Arabian Penisula. Located in the south east of the state Qatar, the Khor Al-Adaid area presents a unique combination through millenia of geological and geomorphological features from land and sea. One of them are the large mobile quartz dunes reaching the sea coast, where they spill into the sea. Some dunes are perfect barchans and parabolic dunes shaped by the dominant north-northwest shamal winds. A natural reserve, Khor Al-Adaid attracts national and international visitors. The qatari government like other governments of gulf oil states is trying to diversify its economy while setting some environmental goals like ensuring water security, protecting the marine environment and stabilizing climate change. Qatar is investing large sums in an array of prestigious projects to lure rich tourists from all over the world. For example, a new international airport –a 5 billion dollars investment– is to be completed in 2015 with a 50 million passengers capacity. The question that remains unanswered is how a country that has one of the highest per capita carbon footprints in the world can achieve sustainability.