18 hours ago
Oman marks global desertification day with push for greener future
Muscat – Oman, represented by the Environment Authority (EA), joined the global community in observing the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, marked annually on June 17.
This year's theme, 'Restore the land. Unlock the opportunities', underscores the vital link between healthy ecosystems and sustainable development.
Oman's participation reflects its continued commitment to international efforts aimed at raising awareness about the pressing challenges of desertification and drought. It also reinforces national priorities focused on encouraging sustainable environmental practices, supporting conservation policies, and enhancing global cooperation to protect natural resources.
The observance highlights the role of ecosystem restoration in strengthening food and water security, generating employment, enabling climate adaptation, and building resilient, green economies.
As part of its broader environmental strategy, the Environment Authority is leading several key initiatives and projects designed to promote sustainability, expand green spaces, and conserve biodiversity across the country.
Among the most notable is the national initiative for planting 10mn trees, launched in January 2020, which aims to restore degraded lands and combat desertification through large-scale afforestation. Another major effort is the National Tree Cover Survey Project, which utilises remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and artificial intelligence to establish a comprehensive, accurate database of tree coverage across the sultanate.
Oman is also advancing mangrove reforestation projects, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency. This ambitious initiative targets the planting of one million mangrove seedlings to enhance marine biodiversity, increase carbon absorption, and promote ecotourism. Mangrove forests currently span over 1,030 hectares along Oman's coastlines.
Additionally, the authority regularly updates the National Plan to Combat Desertification every ten years, in cooperation with the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development. Oman also actively engages in international forums, including the upcoming Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, where it shares its national experiences and awareness campaigns.
