The National Initiative to Plant 10 Million Trees

Preserving the environment is everyone’s responsibility, and it is the duty of every individual to preserve the biodiversity that exists in the Omani environment, as the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (formerly) and the Environment Agency (currently) worked to launch the “Ashajar Initiative” in order to combat desertification and reduce Land degradation and the preservation of wild plants through their multiplication and expansion of green spaces. Everyone knows the environmental, economic and cultural importance of wild plants as they are a great source of food and pharmaceutical industries, in addition to that they support the lives of many living creatures and maintain the balance of ecosystems. The idea of this initiative came as a continuation of the efforts made by the authority to raise awareness and educate the community to preserve wild plants, combat desertification and participate in increasing the green area in the Sultanate. Through this initiative, the authority also sought to unify efforts and expand partnership between government institutions and the private sector to preserve the natural environment and achieve development. It was launched on January 31, 2016 through private social networking sites, and in continuation of the successes achieved by the Shajar Initiative, and in the framework of cooperation between the Environment Agency and the private sector represented by the Petroleum Development Oman, the national initiative to plant 10 million trees came. It was inaugurated on the Omani Environment Day, January 8, 2020. Initiative Objectives: 1) Improving and restoring biodiversity and protecting endangered species. 2) Securing fresh air and scenic views and increasing the percentage of green spaces in the various governorates of the Sultanate. 3) Contribute to lowering the temperature and absorbing carbon dioxide to reduce climate change and pollution. 4) Increasing and improving the vegetation cover in the pastoral and degraded natural areas and reducing the phenomenon of desertification in order to reach a sustainable environment and natural resources. 5) Encouraging the practice of healthy patterns among the population and improving indicators of quality of life in general 6) Creating investment opportunities for the local community and the private sector by benefiting economically and medically from some species. 7) Raising environmental awareness of the importance of Omani plants. 8) Participation and encouragement of community initiatives in activating the initiative. 9) Strengthening partnerships between various sectors with regard to preserving the vegetation cover in the Sultanate and promoting environmental sustainability. Target trees The Sultanate is characterized by a unique diversity of unique ecosystems, for example, the mountain environment, the desert environment, the coastal environment and the valley environment, which is reflected in the rich diversity of vegetation cover. More than 1,400 plant species have been recorded in the Sultanate. The initiative targets wild trees such as, but not limited to, Ghaf (Prosopis cineraria), Samar (Acacia tortilis), Sidr (Ziziphus spina-christi), Acacia gerrardii, Sarh (Maerua crassifolia), Juniperus excelsa, Bot (Sideroxylon muscatenceseania) and Marina), Shua (Moringa peregrina), frankincense (Boswellia sacra), Tayyiq (focus sycomorus) and other Omani wild trees. The cultivation of mangroves has also been added in the selected gorges for this Target sites The initiative aims to spread the green patch on all areas of the Sultanate, including the areas affected by desertification, in addition to the sites of partners, government agencies, individuals, public places, parks, roads and mosques. Participants so far Ministry of Agricultural Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources - The Ministry of Education Ministry of Higher Education, Innovation and Scientific Research Ministry of Heritage and Tourism - Ministry of Defense - Oman Petroleum Development Company - Okiyo company - Valley Amman - Namaa Holding Company The Oman Liquefied Natural Gas Company Development Corporation Oman Sidr Association - cities Cabinets City - Public Services Authority

The Establishment of Wildlife Rehabilitation and Breeding Center in Dhofar

It is a center to house and rehabilitate wild animals as well as breeding them in preparation to release them in the wild environment.

Sand Dunes Fixation Pilot Project

Adverse effects of the phenomenon of sand dunes movement are common in the Sultanate. Sand dunes movement causes cut off roads, threat to strategic installations, damages to agricultural productivity and health problems to the population. Obviously, addressing this phenomenon needs studying the movement of sand dunes and knowing its types, especially in A'Sharqiyah region, in order to identify and implement optimal solutions and ways to deal with it. Sand dunes fixation pilot project and comes within this framework.

Reclaim Land Affected by Desertification in the Sultanate

Natural sites are exposed to various forms of deterioration in the Sultanate, which leads to reduced vegetation, low levels of production and the growing phenomenon of erosion and drifting. The most significant reasons for this deterioration are due to the change the of land use due to urban development in addition to the indiscriminate logging of trees and bushes, overgrazing and to the different climate impacts such as waves of escalating drought. This project is one of the solutions that have been adopted to address this problem.