Environment Ministry, FAO to Activate Environmental Cooperation

DAMASCUS, (ST) – Minister of State for Environmental Affairs Dr. Nazira Sarkis discussed with the Resident Representative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture (FAO) Eriko Hebei ways of activating cooperation in the environmental field through the implementation of income-generating projects and food.

The Minister, during a meeting held here recently, confirmed the importance of activating the areas of cooperation and in accordance with the priorities of the ministry’s work in support of environmentally friendly traditional industries in the eastern and north-eastern desert and chemical-free home food industries.

Dr. Sarkis noted the need to promote an integrated approach in the maintenance of the plant genetic resources of food and agriculture and their sustainable use in addition to the fight against the degradation of natural resources, monitoring and evaluation study of the effects of the random oil refining, circulation of biogas technologies and control of managing storms dust.

The Minister underlined the importance of support for the completion of previous projects and future projects submitted to the FAO, expressing her appreciation for the technical assistance provided by the FAO in the preparation of a draft document to harmonize the national plan with the strategy of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

For her part, Mrs. Hebei expressed willingness to cooperate with the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs especially the presence of new opportunities for environmental work through the Global Environment Facility.

The two sides agreed to hold subsequent technical meetings to discuss ways to re-work on previous delayed projects because of the current crisis in Syria and technical cooperation for the preparation of draft documents relating to the priorities of the work of the Ministry of Environment so that to be displayed on the Global Environment Facility to get funding, especially in the areas of bio-diversity, climate change and renewable energies.

The Minister, in a meeting with the representatives of the FAO on May 17, discussed the issue of creating an environmental camps in the forests and reserves to publicize the importance of the local environment and how to use them with safe methods in order to resettlement of the local population in their accommodation, water management and the sound use of methods of irrigation economically, socially and environmentally.

Sharif al -Khatib