MECC Organizes Workshop on National Strategy to Combat Desertification

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC) organized a pivotal workshop to develop a national strategy and action plan to combat desertification in the State of Qatar. The two-day workshop, spearheaded by the Wildlife Development Department, saw active participation from various state institutions.The workshop aimed to address the national challenges of combating desertification, enhance public awareness, and foster leadership, innovation, and technical cooperation programs.Director of the Wildlife Development Department at MECC, Mohammed Al Khanji emphasized Qatar's steadfast commitment to international environmental agreements, highlighting its efforts to combat desertification and promote environmental sustainability. Qatar has been a signatory to the Convention to Combat Desertification since January 1999, a commitment to mitigate the effects of drought and desertification in affected countries.Al Khanji elaborated that the Ministry, in collaboration with relevant authorities, is working on a modern national strategy to combat desertification. This strategy aims to integrate desertification combating efforts into national sustainable development plans, ensuring alignment with biodiversity strategies and sustainable development goals (SDGs). He underscored the importance of setting strategies and priorities within sustainable development policies to combat desertification, addressing its underlying causes, and focusing on economic factors contributing to this phenomenon. The state is also committed to creating a conducive environment through robust legislation and long-term policies to achieve these goals.The workshop showcased several projects and programs that have significantly contributed to combating desertification and enhancing environmental sustainability in Qatar. These include the inventory and preservation of wild plants, protection of the Ghaf tree, establishment of a field gene bank, rehabilitation of the Qatari desert, rainwater harvesting, an agricultural census, and support for farmers.Al Khanji reaffirmed MECC's dedication, in collaboration with its partners, to achieving sustainable development, preserving the environment, and bolstering national and international efforts to combat desertification. These initiatives are aimed at improving the quality of life for both current and future generations.The workshop brought together officials from the Ministries of Defense, Municipality, and Transport, the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), the Civil Aviation Authority, the National Planning Council, Kahramaa, Qatar Foundation, Qatar Energy, and the ExxonMobil Center. Discussions centered on the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the proposed national strategy and action plan to combat desertification in Qatar. The strategy's key areas and the most significant projects related to combating desertification in the country were also presented. (QNA)