Today ... the Sultanate celebrates the International Day to Combat Desertification

the Sultanate, represented by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, celebrates today, on the 17th of June every year, the World Day to Combat Desertification, with the aim of enhancing public awareness of the efforts made to combat desertification and reduce land degradation and drought. Desertification is one of the most dangerous phenomena that expose the globe to degradation and a change in its ecosystem by losing plant life and biodiversity due to drought and unguided human activities, which in turn negatively affects the environment and human life on this planet. The slogan for this year is “Food, feed, fiber; sustainable production and consumption.” This year’s slogan focuses on changing public attitudes towards the main driver of desertification and land degradation; Continuous non-stop human production and consumption, which is a unique moment to remind everyone that neutralizing the impact of land degradation can be achieved through solving problems associated with desertification, strong community participation, and cooperation at all levels. The Sultanate paid special attention to desertification within the framework of its strategic vision of the necessity of protecting the environment, preserving nature, preserving natural resources and areas of land suitable for agriculture and cultivation, and taking care of rationalizing the use of limited water resources. For example, all crops related to the cultivation of weeds and fodder that drain groundwater and lead to salinization of fertile agricultural lands have been transferred from the Al Batinah coast to the Najd region. The support programs by government agencies for farmers and productive families represented in providing appropriate and environmentally friendly agricultural technologies and encouraging the cultivation of agricultural crops that do not consume large quantities of water, as part of the steps towards food security for the Sultanate. The Ministry has also made great efforts at all national and international levels to combat desertification and reduce land degradation and drought, and many measures have been taken to mitigate and reduce this environmental problem by setting regulatory and legislative frameworks, preparing national programs and plans of action, conducting studies and research, and implementing some projects in various governorates Sultanate affected by desertification factors. As a complement to the efforts made by this Ministry to raise awareness and educate the community in preserving wild trees and plants, combating desertification and participating in increasing the green area in the Sultanate. The Ministry launched the "trees" initiative, in view of the environmental, economic and cultural importance of wild trees and plants, as it is a great source for food and pharmaceutical industries, in addition to supporting the lives of many living organisms and preserving the balance of environmental systems. As the number of seedlings distributed since the initiative was launched in 2016 to date, more than 75 thousand seedlings, where Ghaf and Sidr trees topped the list of these trees. The growing population and urbanization constitute an increased demand for land to provide food, animal feed and fiber for the garment industry. At the same time, the health and productivity of the current land for agriculture is declining as its condition is exacerbated by climate change. Therefore, the presence of enough productive lands to meet the needs of all the inhabitants of the earth requires changing our lifestyles, as the countries of the world seek through this day to educate individuals about how they contribute to preserving agricultural land and investing it in a wise and sustainable way and reducing the negative effects caused by humans on nature And wild ecosystems. By making a difference in consumer and business behavior and adopting more efficient planning and more sustainable practices, we will have enough land to meet demand. If every consumer purchases products that do not cause land degradation, suppliers will reduce the flow of products that cause land degradation, and they will send a strong signal to producers and policy makers. In addition, changes in the diet and behavior of individuals - such as reducing food waste and purchasing from local markets - can use land for other uses and contribute to reducing carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere.