Nouf Al-Bahbahani: We pay great attention to issues of land degradation, drought, sandstorms, and dust

A Kuwaiti delegation, led by Kuwait’s Ambassador to Mongolia Mutlaq Al-Thuwaini, participated in the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, hosted by the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, under the theme “Restore Land. Restore Hope.” The conference runs until the 28th of this month.

Ambassador Al-Thuwaini told KUNA that Kuwait’s participation represents a continuation of its national efforts to promote sustainable land management, combat desertification, and support joint international action to address land degradation and drought. He added that this participation contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the targets of Kuwait Vision 2035, while enhancing the resilience of ecosystems and preserving natural resources for current and future generations.

For her part, Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Environmental Affairs, Nawaf Bahbahani, told KUNA in a similar statement that the Authority’s participation aligns with its efforts to strengthen Kuwait’s presence at international environmental forums and follow up on related issues and files. She noted that the Authority pays close attention to issues concerning desertification, land degradation, drought, and sand and dust storms, as well as enhancing cooperation and exchanging expertise with countries and international organizations in scientific and technical fields.

The Kuwaiti delegation participating in the conference includes representatives from the Public Authority for Environmental Affairs, the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources, Kuwait Oil Company, the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, and the University of Kuwait.

The conference discusses several priority issues, most notably the restoration of degraded lands, enhancing resilience in the face of drought, and sustainable land and pasture management, as well as addressing sand and dust storms. It also examines strengthening the nexus between land and water, developing scientific and technological tools and financing mechanisms needed to support the implementation of programs and projects related to desertification control, and reviewing progress made under the Strategic Framework of the United Nations Convention (2018–2030).

Kuwait’s participation holds particular significance given its desert environment, extreme aridity, and limited natural resources, which underscore the importance of adopting an integrated approach that combines land protection, restoration of degraded ecosystems, improved water resource management, and the use of modern technologies to support environmental decision-making.