Damascus-SANA
The workshop held by the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment discussed what has been accomplished by local partners in the field of scientific research, data, maps and surveys related to climate change and dust storms and their impact on natural and human resources in Syria.
The workshop, which was held in the Ministry's building today, aims to unify efforts and put what has been reached to decision-makers for a moment in development and economic plans and programs to adapt to climate changes.
The workshop, which was attended by a number of researchers and experts from the Ministry of Local Administration, Environmental Research, the General Authority for Remote Sensing, the General Directorate of Meteorology and the Supreme Authority for Scientific Research in the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, reviewed the findings of those bodies in the field of monitoring storms and dusty phenomena during the current year and weather commentaries. Dust in the atmosphere, the evolution of the state of drought, and how to monitor changes in water vapor in the atmosphere and changes in water bodies monthly and annually using satellite images.
The participants in the workshop presented the structure of the National Environmental Observatory and the web application to review environmental and climate data and how to develop it to include all information related to various bodies, ministries and institutions and work to make it accessible to everyone, calling for the establishment of an early warning platform and updating information.
The Minister of Local Administration and Environment, Hussein Makhlouf, indicated in a press statement that there are two projects implemented by the ministry in cooperation with the General Authority for Remote Sensing, the General Directorate of Meteorology and the Supreme Authority for Scientific Research under memorandums of understanding signed with them at the end of 2019. Recently, the Ministries of Agriculture, Agrarian Reform and Water Resources were involved. The first project is implemented over a period of five years and focuses on the impact of climate changes on economic life and natural and human resources. The second project is implemented over a period of three years and aims to monitor and study dust storms and their effects on human and natural life.
Minister Makhlouf stressed that in light of the increase in dust and sand storms resulting from climate change and drought, it was necessary to stand and discuss the results reached in the two projects and review the proposals and questions by all parties and representatives of international organizations working in Syria with the aim of enriching and supporting the two projects, leading to the issuance of Recommendations and placing them before decision makers for consideration in development, economic and social plans and programmes, and studying the effects of climate change on natural resources, especially crops and agricultural products.
Makhlouf stressed that all the completed maps, data, surveys and statistics were carried out in a systematic scientific manner by young cadres trained in reading these data, downloading satellite images and mathematical modeling that enables us to use the latest applications to predict these phenomena.
The Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Eng. Mohamed Hassan Qatana, called for the support of the local community by international organizations that will implement programs to adapt to climate changes, pointing out that the ministry has begun to devise agricultural varieties in cooperation with the Arab Center for Studies of Dry Areas and Arid Lands that are resistant to drought.
For his part, the Director-General of the General Authority for Remote Sensing, Dr. Abdul Majeed Al-Kafri, warned that Syria and the world are facing the challenges of climate change and its negative effects on various aspects of life, as it has become the main driver of natural disasters and the perpetuation of drought resulting from the rise in surface temperature, which led to a change in weather patterns in a way. General and threatening land and agricultural production, which requires joint and urgent efforts to move and work to mitigate and adapt to its effects.
Director General of Meteorology, Engineer Mahmoud Abbas, explained that meteorology plays an essential role in providing climate data that all parties deal with, as researchers and weather forecasters will have a major role in monitoring climate changes and dust storms.
The Director General of the Supreme Commission for Scientific Research, Dr. Majd Al-Jamali, revealed the existence of strategic alliances in all countries of the world to finance the impact of climate change, which amounted to 130 trillion dollars, which will be spent on funds to adapt to climate, monitor the environmental reality in the world and predict the future, pointing out that the authority is working with a group of entities to expand partnership. To include all parties affected by climate change.
The workshop was attended by the Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Ghassan Ibrahim, the Iranian Ambassador in Damascus Mahdi Sobhani, representatives of international organizations working in Syria and directors of research institutions and bodies.
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