Caretaker Minister of Environment, Damianos Kattar, on Friday issued a statement marking “World Environment Day” in which he affirmed Lebanon’s Ministry of Environment’s top priority to persevere and protect biodiversity, as well as to confront any degradation that affects ecosystems.
“The World Environment Day, set by the United Nations on the 5th of June since 1974, is a renewed opportunity to spread global awareness, protect the environment, and highlight the dangers surrounding our natural resources,” said Kattar.
“If the restoration of ecosystems required mitigating the level of pollution by means of planting trees and increasing green spaces, then Lebanon, despite the financial, economic, social and health crises, has been endeavoring, through the Ministry of Environment, to preserve biodiversity, increase the number of natural reserves, protect forests, and encourage the reforestation of affected areas,” he added.
“In this context, the number of nature reserves in Lebanon has increased in 2020 from 15 to 18 after the parliament approved laws establishing three new nature reserves based on the proposal of the Ministry of Environment, namely the Mount Hermon Nature Reserves (Jabal Al Sheikh) in Rashaya District, Abbasieh Beach Nature Reserve in Tyre District, and Numayra Nature Reserve in Nabatieh District,” Kattar explained.
“These reserves, in addition to Lebanon’s 19 natural sites, are considered among the most important preventive means that play an important role in protecting natural resources and habitats for a large number of plants, wild animals, as well as diverse and unique birds. They are also considered one of the main pillars of the rural development policy and eco-tourism in Lebanon, which also help mitigate the dire economic impact on local communities,” Kattar’s statement added.
He explained that “in the context of preserving natural wealth and resources, as well as ecological diversity, the nature reserves committees, appointed by the Ministry of Environment, supervise the implementation of a number of projects in these reserves, in cooperation with the ministry, as well as international organizations and donors, with the aim of improving the environment of natural reserves, rehabilitating the paths within them, and protecting them and their surroundings from wild fires. In parallel, the Ministry of Environment is working to implement projects that meet the challenges of climate change and is working to mitigate its impact on ecological diversity,” Lebanon’s Minister of Environment added.
“I seize the occasion of World Environment Day to invite citizens to spread awareness about the importance of the environment, to be aware of the dangers threatening it, and to adopt environment friendly choices. By doing so, we protect our environment, restore our ecosystems, combat pollution, and secure a more sustainable future for our generations,” Kattar’s statement concluded.
Source: National News Agency