From response to proactiveness…the UAE is redefining the response to desertification and drought

The UAE is at the forefront of global efforts to combat desertification and drought, through an advanced model that reformulates the relationship between humans and the environment, and transforms escalating climate challenges into actual paths for sustainable development and environmental security.

The UAE is leading this trend by employing modern technologies and innovative scientific solutions to rehabilitate ecosystems, enhance vegetation, and protect natural resources, which reflects a strategic vision that goes beyond the traditional response towards creating proactive solutions to climate challenges.

The UAE joins the world in celebrating the “World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought”, which falls on June 17 of each year, continuing to work to achieve the goals of the National Strategy to Combat Desertification 2022-2030, which includes raising the efficiency of local production systems by 40%, rehabilitating and restoring at least 80% of degraded lands, as necessary, raising water consumption efficiency and increasing the reuse rate of treated water to 60%.

The strategy includes 33 major initiatives and an action agenda until 2030, working across five axes: preserving ecosystems, improving the condition of arid and dry lands, mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change on ecosystems affected by desertification, enhancing awareness, education and capacity building at the national level, adopting and applying modern technologies, and enhancing the integration of scientific research, in addition to enhancing the role of partnerships and consolidating the principle of cooperation at the national, regional and international levels.

The UAE has taken a set of measures with the aim of protecting lands from degradation and combating desertification, including the launch of the National Biodiversity Strategy, the Blue Carbon Project, and the plan for aerial mapping of agricultural areas, in addition to the “Nakheelna” initiative, and plans to support organic agriculture.

The UAE has achieved a tangible breakthrough in the construction of dams, which contributed to providing irrigation water for forests and agricultural lands. For example, the dam system succeeded in retaining about 72 million cubic meters of water during the period of heavy rainfall that the country witnessed last April, within a network of 109 dams managed by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, with a total storage capacity exceeding 90 million cubic meters, while the filling rate reached about 83% of the total capacity.

The UAE has established research centers and experiment stations concerned with research and development activities in the field of combating desertification and monitoring climate variables, in addition to establishing an international center specialized in saline crops to conduct research on salt-resistant plants and expand their cultivation.

The UAE recently announced the “National Agricultural Initiative to Adopt Climate-Smart Crops”, in a strategic step led by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in cooperation with the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA).

The initiative relies on four strategic crops adapted to the Emirati environment, led by millet (foxtail and white) and sorghum, which represent a practical solution to the challenges of water scarcity, as they consume up to 50% less water compared to traditional grains.

For its part, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment implemented a project to use drones to conduct a comprehensive survey of agricultural areas in the country, to enhance the restoration of degraded areas and protect and develop existing agricultural areas, while drone technologies were used to scatter and plant seeds of local trees such as “Ghaf” and “Samar” in a number of locations across the country.

In its second report submitted to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on Nationally Determined Contributions, the UAE raised its ambitious goal of planting mangroves from 30 to 100 million trees by 2030, which greatly enhances the protection of soil and natural habitats, in addition to the role of these forests in enhancing the capabilities of confronting the challenges of climate change and reducing its causes.

The expansion of natural reserves represents one of the most prominent steps that strengthen the UAE’s response to the phenomenon of desertification and drought, as the number of approved reserves has increased to 55 terrestrial and marine reserves, covering the equivalent of 19.04% of the total area of ​​the country, while last April witnessed the issuance of a decree establishing the “Wadi Al Qarha” reserve in the Emirate of Sharjah.

The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science constitutes a qualitative addition to the country’s efforts to achieve water security, sustain natural resources, and confront drought and desertification. Since its launch, the program has played a pioneering role in supporting scientific research and innovation, and consolidating the UAE’s position as a global center for developing rain enhancement research and technologies.

At the global level, the UAE has signed many agreements in the areas of combating desertification, including the 1994 United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and has also hosted and participated in international and regional meetings to confront this environmental issue.

In November 2022, the UAE joined the International Coalition for Drought Resistance (IDRA) launched by Spain and Senegal, with support from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, with the aim of stimulating momentum and mobilizing resources for actions aimed at building drought resilience in countries, cities and communities.