Riyadh (UNA/SPA) - The CEO of the National Center of Meteorology and General Supervisor of the Regional Center for Dust and Sand Storms, Dr. Ayman bin Salem Ghulam, launched today the initiative "Global Partnership to Strengthen Early Warning Systems for Dust and Sand Storms", within the activities of the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COPXNUMX) held in Riyadh.
This initiative aims to improve the world’s ability to predict, mitigate and respond effectively to dust and sand storms, by enhancing cooperation between the four WMO regional centres: Jeddah, Barcelona, Beijing and Pan-American Centre in Barbados.
During the announcement of the initiative, Dr. Ghulam stressed the importance of addressing this recurring environmental phenomenon that affects the lives of more than 330 million people annually, including 14% of children around the world, emphasizing the health, economic and environmental damage caused by dust and sand storms, explaining that the initiative seeks to save lives, protect livelihoods, and enhance resilience by improving data exchange, supporting scientific research, and developing early warning systems.
He pointed out that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and his loyal Crown Prince, is committed to providing financial support worth $10 million over five years to ensure the success of the initiative, as part of its commitment to confronting environmental challenges and promoting sustainable development, noting that the initiative comes in the context of the major environmental efforts made by the Kingdom, such as the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative, which aim to combat climate change and land degradation, stressing that international cooperation is the basis for achieving these ambitious goals.
At the end of his speech, Dr. Ayman Ghulam called on all countries, United Nations organizations, research institutions and the private sector to join this global partnership, noting that confronting dust and sand storms requires concerted efforts to achieve a more sustainable and healthy future for future generations.
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