The State of Qatar prohibits the import of hazardous waste in accordance with The Basel Convention on hazardous waste which Qatar joined on 9 August 1995. The Convention prohibits burying any hazardous waste in the desert oasis without getting an approval from SCENR. Efforts have been made to begin storing hazardous waste in specially allocated areas to have it reprocessed as of 2003.

Within the framework of the international cooperation between the Supreme Council for Environment and Natural Reserves and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Ozone unit was established in 2001 with a budget of $500,000 to support the programs aiming at reducing the use of the Ozone depleting substances and encouraging various parties to use ozone-friendly substitutes.

Out of concern for environmental issues, Doha hosted many international conferences, the last of which was Qatar United for the Environment, Science and Technology “QUEST” which was convened in January 2002, and attended by renowned authorities on environmental issues.