Within the framework of the World Day to Land Degradation and Drought, an event entitled "United for the land, our heritage is our future" took place at the initiative of the Ministry of Environment.
Minister Hakob Simidyan, Alain Richard Donwahi, President of the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), who is on a working visit to the Republic of Armenia, representatives from the Ministry of Environment, interested departments, non-governmental organizations and the media attended the event.
Minister Hakob Simidyan gave a speech, specifically addressing the issue of land degradation and the steps taken in its direction:
"Desertification, land degradation and drought are among the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, with significant impacts on the environment, society and economy. Up to 40% of the Earth’s land is already considered degraded.
Due to its geographical location and climatic features, the Republic of Armenia is not immune to the negative impacts of climate change. Global warming, both throughout the world and in Armenia, contributes to the intensification of desertification and drought phenomena, leading to land degradation and loss of biodiversity, which in its turn makes society more vulnerable in terms of food security and socio-economic development of communities” the minister noted.
Referring to the theme of the day: "United for the land, our heritage is our future", the minister urged to remember that the land is not just a resource for us nowadays, but a heritage that we must protect and preserve for future generations.
“It is our responsibility to make efforts to maintain soil fertility, ensuring stability for all ecosystems. I urge government officials, international and non-governmental organizations, and the scientific community to unite and deepen cooperation in the fight against desertification and drought. We must work together to implement sustainable land management, reforestation, effective water resource management, and raise awareness of the importance of land conservation."
The President of the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Alain Richard Donwahi gave a speech:
"Achieving land degradation neutrality in Armenia is an important step towards ensuring a sustainable future for our citizens, our economy and our environment. Therefore, I urge all of you to join us in this vital process, share your experience, resources, ideas and work together to achieve land degradation neutrality by 2030. By working together, we can restore our degraded lands, protect our ecosystems and ensure a sustainable future for succeeding generations."
Narine Hakobyan, National Coordinator of the Convention, Deputy Head of the Department of Land and Subsoil Policy of the Ministry of Environment, presented the implementation process of the "Convention to Combat Desertification" in Armenia.
The land monitoring process in Armenia was also presented.
The students of Vagharshapat First Primary School gave a speech about their involvement in the fight against land desertification and drought.