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Cabinet approves action plan to combat desertification

ABU DHABI - The Cabinet has approved the country's Draft National Action Plan to Combat Desertification.

The plan has been prepared by the Federal Environmental Agency (FEA) in cooperation with United Nations Environmental Programme (Unep), UN Regional Office for West Asia (Rowa) and UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia (ESCWA), according to Hamad Abdul Rahman Al Midfa, Minister of Health and Chairman of the FEA.

The action plan and other national action plans to combat desertification is in line with the country's commitment to Implementing the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Mr Midfa said.

The plan comprises several elements including listing of the natural resources and their potentials, the socio-economic setup, and the past and present efforts in combating desertification.

Eight programmes were identified in the strategy including monitoring and assessment; water resource management; public awareness and participation; rational agriculture; security against drought; promoting the scientific and technological capabilities; promoting national capacity building programmes and consolidating federal, regional and international cooperation.

The UAE has assigned the FEA to follow up the implementation of the UNCCD at the federal, sub-regional and international levels.

The UAE joined the UNCCD on October 21, 1999. A national committee, comprising representatives of around 20 ministries and other national and private organisations concerned with desertification has been formed to follow up implementation of the Convention and prepare a national strategy and action plan to combat desertification in accordance with the National Environmental Strategy and the Asia Annex of the Convention.

Since its establishment, the UAE has spared no efforts to conserve its environment, develop natural resources on sustainable bases and combat desertification. The authorities were able to accomplish great achievement in various fields related to the environment and desertification. These achievements would not have been possible in a relatively short time without the wise policies that the President, His Highness Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan A1 Nahyan, has placed on dealing with the environmental issues.