Minister of Agriculture discusses with UNDP mechanisms for afforestation of fire-affected sites

On January 23rd, the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Eng. Mohamed Hassan Qatna, met with agricultural experts and stakeholders from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). 

The two sides discussed developing plans for the management and afforestation of the sites that were exposed to fires in 2020 and the natural vegetation cover in those areas. 

Minister Qatna stated that the aim of the meeting was to review the advisory contract signed with UNDP to assess the situation of the fires that occurred in Syria during the year 2020, and their impact on the natural vegetation cover and mechanisms for its renewal and revival in accordance with the approved global scientific bases. 

Minister Qatna said that the meeting included a review of all forest policies and strategies, the forestry law, and the procedures followed during the fires period and beyond, in the way of dealing with these sites.

Minister Qatna stressed that protecting forests is everyone’s responsibility and that the local community has a key role in this aspect, referring to the measures taken by the ministry last year in coordination with the governmental authorities to protect forests, which contributed to a significant decrease in the number of fires and rapid intervention in the event of any fire.

O. al-Mohammad