Presented By: Eng. Imad AlmareeDeputy Director of Biodiversity, Land, and Natural Reserves.National Focal Point of UNCCD in Syria Arab Republic

Workshop on Alignment & Implementation of National Action Plans with UNCCD 10-Year Strategy in the Arab Region, 18-20 June 2014, Dubai,

United Arab Emirates

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

- Syrian Arab Republic lies on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea

- It is bordered by Turkey from the north, Iraq from the east, Jordan from the south, and the Mediterranean Sea and Lebanon and Palestine from the west.

- Independence: 1946- The Capital: Damascus, the oldest Capital City in

the world since more than 5000 years ago .

- In 2011, the population of Syria was nearly 24.3 million

- Rural population percentage is about 49.8 % of total population

- Population working in agriculture percentage is about 30.4 % of total population

- Over 67 % of the Syrian population lives in major cities such as Damascus, Aleppo, Homes, Hama and coastal-zone cities

- Area – 185179.71 Km2

- 55% of area receives >200mm/yr rain

- Arable lands form 33 % , rangelands 44 % , non arable lands 20 % and forests form 3 % of total area

The agricultural settlement zones (map1):

Syria has signed and ratified the three UN Conventions on Combating Desertification, Conserving Biological Diversity, and Climate Change in very early stages, and committed itself to the success of the global environmental management system. Since then, many stakeholders and thousands of Syrians were engaged in hands-on initiatives, policy-dialogues, and enabling activities to meet their obligations and ethical commitments to the Conventions. Remarkable successes have been achieved in many cases. However, some results were below expectations.

In support of the hard and continuous efforts to stop the degradation of lands and to put an end for the phenomena of desertification and to avoid their negative effects and depending on the principle of participation and cooperation with the international society, Syria certified the International Convention to Combat Desertification in 1997 and it works to execute its obligation for that.

Due to the increasing pressures on the natural

resources in the past few decades among of which is the soil, the phenomena of desertification and the lands deterioration appeared in different forms such as:

The wind erosion in AL-Badia and water erosion in the areas of high averages as a result of the collapse of the plant cover and salinity of lands as a result of the use of the traditional irrigation methods

The arid land area (Syrian AL-Badia):This area includes the south-easterly part of Syria,

extends east ward to the Iraqi borders, and south ward to Jordan. It is a hill with high about (500-1000) meter. With a continental climate dry and warm in summer, relatively hot in winter days, and very cold in winter nights, hot and dry in transitional seasons.

Syrian Arab Republic is located in the Eastern Mediterranean zone, whose area is 185179.71 Km2.

Arid and semi-arid lands respectively constitute 71 and 23 % of the country area (185,180 km2). The rangeland is 44 %, 33 % is suitable for agriculture, 3 % is forest, and 20 % consist of Nonarable land.

The territories in which the rain average is less than 200 mm/year compose about 55% of its area. This makes its soil fragile possible to be exposed to quick collapse.

Distribution of Soils orders and great groups in Syria

- State of Desertification and Land Degradation in Syria:

والجدول التالي يبين مساحات ودرجات تدهور االنجراف

: الريحي في البادية الوسطى

.(ACSAD, 2004)

Wind erosion & Dust Storms

والجدول التالي يبين مساحات ودرجات تدهور االنجراف

: الريحي في البادية الوسطى

.(ACSAD, 2004)

Degradation Type

Light Degradation

Medium Degradation

Intensive Degradation

Very Intensive Degradation

Total

Area %25.238.96.853

Area hectares

56629.5148395552769966281421894

.(ACSAD, 2004)

Dust Storm in Damascus 26 Sep 2010

Dust Storm 26 Sep 2010

2011 نيسان 12 عاصفة غبارية في مدينة دير الزور

Actions taken

to combat

desertification and land

degradation in Syria

اإلجراءات المتخذة

لمكافحة التصحر

وتدهور األراضي في سورية

The National Action Plan to Combat Desertification (NAP) in Syria

The NAP Priority Programme Programme 1. Extension of the Badia Integrated

Development Programme

Programme 2. Water Erosion Control in Coastal Areas

Programme 3. Sustainable Land Management Practices in River Basins

- The National Plans and Strategies:

Projects implemented and being implemented to combat desertification and land degradation in Syria:

Several ministries and institutions work directly or indirectly in combat desertification and draught mitigation

The current status of the process of alignment of the National Plan to Combat Desertification in Syria (for reasons not to start)

The reality of the NAP situation in Syria

Reasonswe have chosen using the GEF Agency modality

(option 2) to get GEF financing for Enabling Activities under the UNCCD

Response: ?????the Secretariat can offer only limited support