Water efficiency in related sectors
Initiative description: Using information events, awareness campaigns and/or public guidance to share and encourage responsible water management practices in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™-related sectors, such as accommodation and food and beverage.
Qatar welcomed a substantial number of visitors during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. This resulted in a temporary but significant spike in overall demand for resources, which presented a key environmental challenge for tournament organisers, particularly with regards to water conservation. The main goal of this initiative was therefore to engage with accommodation as well as food and beverage service providers and encourage them to minimise water use and implement responsible water management practices.
The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), in collaboration with the Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) – now Earthna Centre for a Sustainable Future – and Qatar Tourism, consulted Qatar’s hospitality sector to encourage the adoption of sustainable practices in the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and beyond. This included workshops on sustainability best practices with the aim of minimising the environmental impact of stays at hotels, campsites, apartments, and other accommodations. The workshops engaged participants from nearly 100 local hotels.
These workshops led to the development of a 'Green hospitality in Qatar: Green hotels, challenges, and pathways' report in 2021. This report outlines the key outcomes of these workshops and proposes the steps that the hospitality sector in Qatar can take to align itself with international best practices and transform itself into a green sector.
Some of the water conservation best practices implemented across hotels in Doha include the use of recycled water and air conditioning condensate for landscape irrigation, introduction of drip irrigation systems, rescheduling of irrigation times to minimise water loss from evaporation, as well as replacing inefficient water fixtures and installing aerators to reduce water consumption. Many hotels also engaged and increased awareness among guests about their sustainability initiatives.
In addition, through the support of the SC and the QGBC, several local hotels earned sustainability certifications through initiatives like the Green Key Award (a leading international standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry). The award assesses 13 areas, including water management, green activities offered to guests, staff engagement, as well as washing and cleaning. As of June 2022, Green Key had certified 13 hotels in Qatar.
For more information about awareness raising for the local hospitality sector in the lead up to the tournament, please visit the sustainable building awareness-raising and capacity building and awareness-raising web pages of this report.