MUSCAT: The activities of the national workshop to approve the National Strategy to Combat Desertification 2040 commenced on Monday.
Organised by the Environment Authority in cooperation with the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), the workshop sees the participation of members of the National Committee to Combat Desertification, alongside a selection of experts and decision-makers from various government, private and civil society sectors.
The strategy embodies the Sultanate of Oman's commitments toward the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and aligns with the environmental targets of Oman Vision 2040. It aims to enhance national efforts to reduce land degradation, protect natural resources and achieve sustainable development.
The opening ceremony, held under the auspices of Dr Abdullah bin Ali al Amri, Chairman of the Environment Authority, featured the screening of a documentary film reviewing the strategy's road map. The film highlighted the prominent natural and climatic challenges facing Omani lands due to their location within the desert belt, and the subsequent impacts on vegetation cover, soil and water resources.
The documentary also addressed the scientific foundations upon which the strategy was built, which involves dividing the Sultanate of Oman into four main environmental regions to direct field initiatives efficiently and effectively.
The three-day workshop reviews the operational targets of the strategy, which include reclaiming and rehabilitating more than 100 square kilometres of degraded land, significantly increasing tree cover and implementing national afforestation initiatives while monitoring tree growth within sustainable environmental programmes and initiatives up to the year 2050.
Saud bin Salim al Araimi, Acting Director-General of the Directorate-General of Vegetation Cover Development, stated that combating desertification represents a fundamental pillar for enhancing food, water and environmental security. He pointed out that the impacts of land degradation transcend environmental aspects to encompass economic and social dimensions, emphasising the importance of partnership among various national sectors to unify efforts and transform environmental challenges into sustainable developmental opportunities.
For his part, the representative of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development affirmed the level of ongoing cooperation with the Environment Authority in preparing the National Strategy to Combat Desertification, underscoring the importance of exchanging expertise and enhancing joint action to support national efforts in this field.
The opening programme of the workshop included a visual presentation marking the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, which shed light on national efforts to protect natural resources and their role in achieving sustainable development goals. This was followed by honouring the participating speakers and experts in recognition of their scientific contributions. The workshop then proceeded with specialised sessions reviewing the pillars of the strategy, its preparation stages, and the current reality of desertification in the Sultanate of Oman. — ONA
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