MECC organises workshop on national strategy to combat desertification

Doha: The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC) recently organised a pivotal workshop to develop a national strategy and action plan to co...

Doha: The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC) recently organised 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 programmes.

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.