The Gulf nation, Qatar is likely to get the West Asia's first centre to monitor the health of Ozone layer. The Ozone layer protects the environment from harmful ultraviolet rays coming from sun. The high-tech monitoring station at Qatar will gather crucial data on pollution linked with damage to ozone layer. The project will be backed by United Nations. The project will focus on filling up the ground and satellite-data gaps in West Asia which enable to monitor the protection of Ozone layer.

 

According to the reports of UN Environment Programme, over 90% of Ozone damaging gases have already been phased out and it is predicted that the layer might fully recover around the year 2060. The ground station will assist space agencies to validate earth observing satellites proofing the data they gather on behalf of researchers around the globe.

 

The decision to establish the new ground station was taken after holding talks between the Government of Qatar, UNEP's ozone secretariat and the Qatar Foundation. The announcement of the station was made by the government of Qatar during the high level segment of the 8th Conference of the Parties to the Vienna Convention and 20th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol.

 

The Qatar station will help to collect data which will enable the researchers to undertake policies to lessen Ozone layer depletion. The environmental pollutions caused by human beings cause serious damage to the ozone layer. The fatal disease like skin cancer is caused by ultra violet rays of the sun which are usually barred by Ozone layer.