Chair of the Scientific Committee of the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature Mr. Hassan Al Jaajaa was invited by the ESCWA to participate in a panel discussion on “Restoring degraded lands in the Arab region.” The discussion coincided with World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (17 June 2021).

The webinar highlighted the need to protect and restore natural ecosystems in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in light of the vulnerability of land to overexploitation and development activities encroaching on productive and fragile land, leading to its degradation and biodiversity loss.

Attendees noted that degraded land could not withstand droughts, floods, wind erosion, rain, or sandstorms. This reduces resistance to zoonotic diseases, with the example of COVID-19.