DOHA: Qatar represented by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment has marked 2018 World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) with an impressive track record of intensive drives to plant more wild trees in deserts to increase the vegetation across the country.

Qatar is also working to support reclaim lands for agricultural purpose to ensure food security in the country and abroad under a worldwide campaign to fight against desertification.

The 2018 World Day to Combat Desertification was observed under a slogan “Land has true value – invest in it”, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment tweeted on Sunday.

By the beginning of this year, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment has launched a massive campaign to distribute seeds and seedlings of wild plants to winter campers for planting them in several areas to fight against desertification.

Under the campaign about 4,000 packets of seeds and 11,000 seedlings of wild plants ‘Al Najila’ quack grass were distributed to the campers.

The campaign also aimed at distributing about 1,500 seedlings of local wild plants including acacia tortilis, acacia ehrenbergia, lycium shawii and many more. The lack of availability of seeds in desert lands is one of the hindering factors of the programme for rehabilitation and development of pasture, Sheikh Dr Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani, Assistant Under-Secretary for Agriculture and Fisheries Affairs at the Ministry of Municipalities and Environment had said while launching the campaign in January this year.

He had pointed out that the research and studies carried out by Agricultural Research Department showed the difficulty of the current situation of natural pasture and the need to intervene to stop the deterioration and depletion of natural resources.

The Ministry has also adopted advanced plantation technology to increase the survival rate of wild trees.

In February, 2018, the Ministry had planted 50 Sidr trees using Waterboxx technology in Al Shahaniya Municipality under a campaign to cultivate plants in the desert land. The Ministry had planted 16,000 local trees including Sidr, Ghaf and Qard at several locations across the country, according to a report issued in June 2017.

In November, 2016, the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) had announced an ambitious project to grow a man-made-forest with 95,000 trees in an area of 12 square kilometres around its huge sewage treatment plant in Umm Salal Ali, north of Doha.

In April 2018, Qatar, represented by the Foreign Ministry, signed an agreement with Global Dryland Alliance (GDA), making Doha the alliance’s new headquarters.

GDA aims to provide support to researches and new innovations of member states and to implement the results. The alliance also aims to provide the best practices that can be shared with dryland countries around the world.

Under the agreement, 11-state alliance seeks to achieve food security for dryland countries, which results in further stability and peace around the world.

The GDA also aims to cooperate with local, regional and international partners to find solutions and spread and implement them in order to face challenges related to agriculture, water and energy in dryland countries.

The World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) was celebrated worldwide on June 17 with the focus on sustainable land management as a way to regenerate economies, create jobs and revitalize communities, said a report posted on the website of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Under the slogan “Land has true value – invest in it,” WDCD2018 called all involved – producers, consumers and policy makers – to make a difference by investing in the future of land.

WDCD was established by the UN General Assembly 23 years ago to raise awareness on the global and national actions that address desertification, land degradation and drought.