A Systems Perspective on the Sustainable Development of Qatar

Sustainable development is a critical component of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and of the national strategy implementing it. The State of Qatar is developing policies aimed at protecting the environment, sustaining economic prosperity, and developing a knowledge-based society. The three pillars of sustainability—environment, economy, and society—are closely interlinked and need to be treated as such by policymakers. In this chapter, we first discuss the systemic nature of the sustainability challenges of Qatar, particularly focusing on the complex transition the country is facing as it moves away from the current rentier economic model, with its social and environmental implications, towards a new model where new, knowledge-based industries develop in areas such as climate-tech and services. We then discuss systems analysis frameworks and tools at the disposal of governments to support sustainability policy design, and we illustrate one tool in particular that we are developing at QEERI: an energy systems model. We conclude with recommendations on equipping Qatar with an analytical toolkit to support sustainability policymaking.