We conducted experiments to increase recycling rates and reduce waste

Dr. Fadi Makki, Director of the Conduct for Development Foundation of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, confirmed that the continuous preparations for hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, and efforts to address the Covid-19 pandemic, constituted the most prominent achievements of the Foundation for Conduct for Development during the year 2020.

He said: “At the beginning of the year, we conducted a series of experiments to increase recycling rates and reduce waste during the hosting of the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020™, and the guiding messages spread throughout the stadiums related to urging the use of recycling bins reduced the volume of waste by 18%, While messages to fans for a sustainable behavior improved their behavior and correct use of recycling bins by 12.5%.

He continued, “Other experiments we conducted led to measuring the behavior of individuals and enhancing their desire to commit to sustainable behavior, and improving the fans’ experience in this regard, which remained a major focus of the actions taken during the Arab Cup, which was hosted in Qatar from November 30 to December 18.”

Dr. Fadi Makki added: “One of our main goals is to support many aspects related to encouraging people to adopt sustainable behaviour, such as the use of public transportation and recycling bins. We seek to support efforts to provide an optimal fan experience during the 2022 World Cup which is underway. Less than a year later, the country is expected to welcome more than one million visitors to attend the tournament.”

He continued, “The Qatar World Cup will witness the use of behavioral sciences for the first time in a global event of this size, and therefore our work provides valuable experiences that have a lot of benefit for the countries that organize the World Cup in the future, including the United States, Canada and Mexico, which will host the next edition of the World Cup. the world in 2026.”

He explained: “We will continue to cooperate closely with the football for development activities and initiatives organized by Generation Amazing, the Humanitarian and Social Legacy Program at the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, as part of our efforts to enhance the effectiveness of Generation Amazing, which is active in more than ten countries around the world. Specifically, we will integrate behavioral insights into all aspects of the initiative, which aims to increase youth participation, promote social inclusion, and encourage healthy lifestyles.The trainers of Generation Amazing recognized the great value of the importance of using behavioral sciences in organizing these programs and making them more impactful and beneficial to thousands people around the world.”

The Director of the Behavior for Development Foundation continued: “We expect to intensify our cooperative relations with the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar in 2022. The year 2021 witnessed close cooperation with the Ministry to increase vaccination rates and encourage individuals to adhere to the strategies adopted to address Covid-19. We tested many tools to achieve the desired goals in this context, for example, we succeeded in reducing the hesitation of individuals to receive the vaccine, by contributing to changing the perceptions that people hold of sound social standards related to enhancing levels of awareness of the need to take the vaccine. Through the effect of using other tools to reduce hesitation towards the vaccine, including SMS and targeted advertising.”

He said, “We have recently begun to provide support to the Ministry of Public Health in aspects related to the ministry’s cooperation with the World Health Organization to make the upcoming World Cup a beacon for promoting physical and mental health, and a model to ensure hosting major healthy and safe sporting events in the future.”

He added: “Capacity building for partners featured prominently in our agenda in 2021, and we helped the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in Pakistan to launch a MindLab unit for behavioral guidance at the headquarters of the Ministry of Finance of the province, and we supported the institutional aspects of preparation and capacity building in line with our primary goal of benefiting The science of directing behavior to improve the lives of individuals and communities in the region.

He explained, “In the context of our work to spread behavioral insights to a wider audience, we organized the 4th Arab Summit for Behavioral Sciences “BX Arabia”, and a group of experts and specialists in behavioral science participated in the conference, and the conference sessions were broadcast live on social media.”

Makki expected more focus on mental health projects in the agenda for 2022, taking into account the changing lifestyle around the world in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the need for countries in the world for special and targeted support in the field of mental health promotion, which will include a number of delicate issues.

He said, “There is no doubt that behavioral problems constitute an obstacle to people who seek help, and therefore we will develop the necessary plans to provide specialized programs to overcome this dilemma.”

He added, “Finally, we will continue to build partnerships with regional and international organizations, including United Nations bodies, academic institutions and NGOs, especially those focused on third world countries. During 2021, we learned many valuable lessons that we will be keen to share with many partners and bodies that We have cooperation relations with them, and we will continue to provide the necessary support in this regard through our publications and events such as BX Arabia.”

finally; The Director of the Behavior for Development Foundation expected that the year 2022 will also be full of programs, activities and events, and that work will continue to make a positive impact that enhances the status of behavioral sciences in Qatar, the region and around the world, especially since it is the year that will witness the first edition of the Football World Cup in the Arab world and the Middle East.