Food and Water Security in Qatar: Current Challenges Caused by the Blockade and Proposed Solutions

Food and water security and variability are some of the crucial challenges facing communities worldwide. Qatar is concerned with such challenges due to its nature and the rapid population growth. The 2017 blockade only further aggravated the situation since it interrupted the food supply chain, and therefore, food security. This study investigates the impacts of the blockade on Qatar's food and water security. All challenges facing Qatar’s food and water security have been discussed; as well as the possible solutions to secure sustainable water and food supply. Among all initiatives, integrated farming was selected as one potential solution toward agricultural and food sustainability in Qatar. The proposed project consists of several production units in arranged and interconnected ways to improve the integration, reduce costs, and maximize benefits. The proposed units of the project include agriculture production units, livestock production units, fish farms, and a composting unit for the management of farm wastes. This project is expected to be of great benefit to the Qatari food and water sectors. It can contribute to reducing the gap between the demand and supply for food thanks to its advantages over the conventional agriculture and farming systems.