Environmentalism in Qatar: examining the influence of Islamic ethics on environmental thought and practice

This thesis examines environmental discourses of state and non-state actors in Qatar, with a particular focus on how Islamic ethical values and teachings influence environmental thought and practice. Aside from its economic value as a leading liquid natural gas exporter, Qatar holds significant status as one of the most affluent Arab Muslim states vying for political and economic power regionally and globally while facing numerous environmental vulnerabilities (e.g., water scarcity, rising temperatures, air/water pollution, desertification, biodiversity loss, and sea level rise). Despite its constitutional identity as an Arab Muslim country, gaping rifts exist between Qatar’s interest in preserving its cultural, religious, and natural heritage on one hand, and its environmental realities and practices on the other. This study investigates the apparent disconnect between state aspirations and industrial/energy praxis causing or exacerbating regional/global environmental risks and social inequities—especially between wealthy Qataris and migrant laborers. Utilizing an environmental governance framework and critical discourse analysis, this research unveils power asymmetries between state and non-state actors in Qatar and elucidates the ways in which non-state actors struggle to access environmental data, establish non-governmental organizations free from strict government oversight, and mobilize to resist the hegemony of state and corporate powers. This study also demonstrates how state authorities and their corporate allies adopt predominately technocratic and market-based approaches to resolving environmental problems and maintain control over environmental discourses and decisions while actively depoliticizing climate discourses. In aiming to bridge theoretical religious ideals with environmental practice, this research also investigates reasons why Islamic environmentalism does not feature more prominently in the country. Although some state-sponsored environmental initiatives inspired by religious values and ...