Doha, July 14 (QNA)(FANA)Desertification and drought represent an increasing environmental and developmental challenge at the global level, in light of the accelerating pace of climate change and the continued pressures resulting from human activities, and the resulting degradation of land and natural resources, which threatens food security and biodiversity and undermines efforts to achieve sustainable development.The State of Qatar recognizes these challenges by paying close attention to combating desertification and drought, given its geographical nature characterized by a hot and dry desert climate, limited surface water resources, and the unique nature of its vegetation cover.Within the framework of Qatar National Vision 2030, the country has adopted an integrated strategic approach to address these challenges based on protecting natural resources and achieving sustainable development through developing afforestation programs, planting drought-resistant plants, applying modern water-saving irrigation techniques, rehabilitating degraded lands and improving soil properties, along with enhancing the environmental monitoring and follow-up system using modern technologies.At the regional and international levels, Qatar pursues an active policy in the field of combating desertification and promoting environmental sustainability through its commitment to relevant international agreements and its participation in global efforts to address environmental challenges, including joining the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and adhering to its requirements. In addition, the state participates in the Conferences of the Parties negotiations on climate change, along with supporting and financing regional environmental projects through the Qatar Fund for Development, enhancing cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in the areas of joint environmental management, as well as hosting international conferences and events related to the environment and climate.The ministry continues to contribute to its initiative to plant 10 million trees by 2030, which was announced by the State of Qatar as part of the Middle East Green Initiative, where more than four million trees have been planted so far, equivalent to more than 40% of the national target.During 2025, 19,580 local wild and coastal seedlings were cultivated, and 31,275 wild and coastal seedlings were produced in the Al-Ghashamiya nursery to support propagation and environmental rehabilitation programs.To reinforce this trend, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change launched the National Strategy to Combat Desertification 2025-2030 as part of the State of Qatar’s efforts to protect its natural resources, enhance their sustainability, and mitigate land degradation and the impacts of drought, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy 2024-2030.The strategy aims to establish a comprehensive national framework to combat desertification and achieve land degradation neutrality by improving the efficiency of natural resource management and strengthening supportive legislation and policies, thereby contributing to the protection of ecosystems and the achievement of sustainable development.The strategy encompasses six key outcomes, including protecting ecosystems and reducing factors contributing to desertification and drought; promoting sustainable management of natural resources; strengthening vegetation cover and rehabilitating affected environments; building capacity and supporting scientific research and innovation; developing legislation, policies, and effective governance; and enhancing community participation and national and international partnerships.In this context, the ministry is implementing a number of programs and initiatives aimed at reducing land degradation and enhancing vegetation cover. This includes afforestation programs and planting plant species adapted to the Qatari environment, environmental monitoring programs that rely on advanced systems to track indicators of land and vegetation degradation, in addition to initiatives to rehabilitate land, improve its quality and reduce the effects of desertification.The ministry also attaches particular importance to employing technology and innovation in its environmental efforts through the use of geographic information systems and remote sensing technologies in monitoring environmental changes, developing smart irrigation and sustainable agriculture applications, supporting research related to adaptation to drought, and improving the ability of ecosystems to cope with climate challenges.These efforts are based on an integrated legislative and regulatory system aimed at protecting the environment and natural resources. This includes laws and regulations governing the protection of agricultural lands, water resources and biodiversity, in addition to environmental assessment requirements for various projects in order to achieve a balance between development and environmental preservation.In terms of awareness, the ministry is keen to promote environmental awareness and community participation through the implementation of awareness and afforestation programs, support for research initiatives, and encouragement of various segments of society and the private sector to contribute to protecting the environment and preserving natural resources, which supports the State of Qatar’s commitment to achieving sustainable development and enhancing its ability to face future environmental challenges.For his part, Assistant Undersecretary for Protection and Natural Reserves Affairs Dr. Ibrahim Abdul Latif Al Muslimani explained in a special statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is implementing the National Strategy to Combat Desertification 2025-2030 includes programs and projects to rehabilitate degraded lands, protect natural habitats and meadows, develop vegetation cover, ensure biodiversity sustainability, and combat invasive plant species. He pointed out that the strategy aims to restore and rehabilitate at least 30% of degraded natural habitats.Dr. Al Muslimani added that nature reserves represent a fundamental pillar in the state’s efforts to protect biodiversity and reduce land degradation. He explained that terrestrial reserves cover about 27% of the country’s area, with work underway to raise the percentage of protected terrestrial and marine areas to 30% by 2030.He reported that the ministry carried out protection and rehabilitation works in 76 gardens and natural sites, with a total area of ​​16.72 square kilometers from 2019-2026, through fencing, regulating use, cultivating local plants and scattering seeds, with a plan to expand protection and rehabilitation programs to include 500 gardens and natural sites by 2030.Regarding modern technologies, Dr. Al Muslimani pointed to the use of geographic information systems, remote sensing and drones in monitoring the condition of the land and vegetation cover, indicating that these efforts contributed to the inventory and documentation of 1,573 parks, and the establishment of the first integrated national spatial database for parks and natural sites, in addition to studying the use of AI applications to enhance the efficiency of environmental monitoring and support decision-making.Regarding national partnerships, Dr. Al Muslimani stressed that combating desertification requires the combined efforts of various parties. He noted the participation of more than 25 national bodies in the relevant technical consultations, as well as the contribution of private sector institutions in supporting projects to fence, cultivate and rehabilitate the meadows within the framework of social responsibility.In turn, Director of the Wildlife Development Department at the ministry Khalid Juma Al Muhannadi confirmed in a similar statement to QNA that the State of Qatar is dealing with the challenges of desertification and drought through a long-term strategy based on the sustainable management of lands, the restoration of degraded areas, and the enhancement of local vegetation cover, which contributes to increasing the ability of ecosystems to adapt to climate changes.Al Muhannadi explained that the country’s geographical nature as an arid environment makes it more affected by limited rainfall, high temperatures and scarcity of water resources. He added that global climate changes impose additional challenges that require the adoption of proactive solutions based on scientific foundations.He added that the ministry is working to protect natural habitats, develop environmental monitoring systems, and utilize modern technologies, geographic information systems and remote sensing to monitor the condition of lands and make data-driven decisions, as well as integrating environmental considerations into national planning to ensure the sustainability of natural resources for future generations.Regarding the most prominent current projects and initiatives, he noted that the ministry is implementing a number of programs aimed at protecting the environment and adapting to climate change, including the Qatari land rehabilitation project, programs to protect the meadows and restore degraded lands, combating invasive plant species, and producing and propagating local wild plants.Al Muhannadi stressed that protecting the environment is a shared societal responsibility. He emphasized the ministry’s keenness to promote environmental awareness through the implementation of awareness campaigns and educational programs targeting various segments of society, and involving volunteers, educational institutions and the private sector in initiatives to protect meadows, plant local plants and preserve natural habitats.Concluding his statement to QNA, Al Muhannadi pointed out that the ministry is also working to consolidate the culture of rational use of natural resources and encourage positive environmental behaviors, such as adherence to environmental instructions and the preservation of vegetation and natural habitats, which enhances community participation in national efforts to combat desertification and adapt to climate change, and supports the achievement of development and sustainability goals in the State of Qatar.For his part, Head of the Nature Conservators Centre in Qatar Dr. Saif Ali Al Hajri confirmed that the country indeed succeeded in transforming the barren desert environment into green lands and spaces within the framework of ambitious plans and programs and effective regional and international cooperation and partnerships.Dr. Al Hajri told QNA that the close cooperation between the various ministries and state institutions concerned with agriculture, sustainability issues, planting trees along roads and in parks, and addressing the challenges and climate changes that affect the environment in general, as well as the great community awareness of these issues, as green spaces and public and home gardens have doubled. This also includes afforestation initiatives, including the planting of one million trees, followed by a similar initiative with a regional dimension, which is the planting of 10 million trees within the framework of the Middle East Green Initiative.He pointed out that the State of Qatar also adopted, in the process of transforming the desert and arid environment into a productive and green land that contributes to the issue of food security, modern methods and technologies that it has employed properly and correctly in the fields of irrigation, agriculture and soil treatment, in addition to efforts to rehabilitate the meadows and propagate seeds, and a clear increase in public parks during the past 10 years, as well as planting large areas of the Qatari desert with local and coastal plants such as the mangrove plant, which is characterized by the property of absorbing greenhouse gases.Concluding his statement to QNA, Dr. Al Hajri pointed out Qatar also organizes and hosts many related events, including the annual International Agricultural Exhibition (AgriteQ), Expo 2023 Doha with its slogan Green Desert, Better Environment,” and other activities, events and initiatives related to combating desertification and drought, all of which provide a healthy, green and sustainable environment for current and future generations, which is in line with Qatar National Vision 2030, the ministry’s strategy in this regard, and the objectives of the National Strategy to Combat Desertification 2025-2030. (QNA)