WAM RAK, Jun 21st, 2012 (WAM)-- The Environmental Protection and Development Authority-Ras Al Khaimah (EPDA-RAK) has organised in association with the Department of Anti Desertification at the Ministry of Environment and Water, a seminar on the Plant Cover in the Desert Environment as part of the World Day to Combat Desertification.

Engineer Ahmed Saif Al-Matari, Director of the Anti Desertification Department at the ministry stressed the country's efforts in combating the desertification through joining the Anti Desertification Convention in 1997. It aims to spread the awareness about risks of drought, and desertification, and creation of mechanisms and technologies to curb the desertification phenomenon.

He referred to the state's sustainable development projects in the desert environment, citing the launch of Abu Dhabi's Ministerial Declaration 2002, on the implementation of the UN Anti Desertification Convention in Asia.

Al Matari pointed out that the UAE had built 118 dams with storage capacity of 118 million cubic meter.

He added that the investment projects in the desert environment focused on setting up the land and marine natural protectorates, parks, greenbelts, landscaping and others.

WAM/Trainee/MN