Studies have shown that more than 35 million hectares of agricultural lands in the Arab world are seriously affected by salinization processes, and that more than 80 hectares of arable lands are transformed into unproductive lands daily due to the accumulation of salt in them as a result of poor management and inappropriate environmental conditions. This has led to more than 795 million people suffering from hunger.
The Syrian Ministry of Agriculture published on the authority of the Director-General of the Arab Center for Studies of Dry Areas and Dry Lands (ACSAD) Dr. Nasr Al-Din Al-Obeid that studies also indicate that about 1.5 million hectares of agricultural land in the Arab world turn annually into non-agricultural lands due to its salinization. Financial losses from this reason are estimated at about $31 billion annually, noting that irrigated agricultural lands suffer from an increase in salinity by about 20% annually, and it increases to 30% in arid and semi-arid areas.
The Director-General of the Organization, Nasr El-Din Al-Obaid, called for preserving land resources, rehabilitating degraded ones, and increasing their productivity to secure more food for the Arab peoples. It has a way to increase the efficiency of its productivity and the sustainability of its bid.
He pointed out that the problem of salt accumulation in the soil is one of the most important and most dangerous problems facing the agricultural process and food security at the Arab and global levels, due to the large areas of agricultural land affected by the salt accumulation, and the accompanying negative direct impact on the growth of plants producing the basic foodstuffs for human life in these areas. the countries.
Dr. Al-Obaid added that the practical application, scientific awareness, and activating the participatory approach for everyone, especially decision-makers and those dealing with land resources, is the right way to move towards integrated agricultural development and sustainable management of environmental systems, in line with global trends towards neutralizing land degradation and the green economy, and adopting General principles of the United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030).
The Director-General of ACSAD confirmed that the center is currently working on preparing an encyclopedia of saline soils in the Arab world, restoring ecosystems, sustainable use of natural resources, and activating the global partnership represented in building bridges of cooperation with the concerned national institutions in the Arab countries and regional and international organizations.
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