Regional and National efforts

International initiatives

The four countries of the NSAS have all signed up for international initiatives geared to better understanding and resolving environmental issues affecting them.

Each country signed and ratified the international Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) geared to the conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use and sharing the benefits arising from the commercial and other utilization of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way.

Connected to this, Chad and Egypt have completed National Biodiversity Plans underlining the importance of protecting oases ecosystems. For example, Egypt aims to designate oases in its Western Desert as protected areas while Chad aims to re-introduce plants that have disappeared from arid areas such as the Logoni Basin.

All four countries also signed and ratified the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) which aims to promote effective action through innovative local programmes and supportive international partnerships. National strategies have also been or are being developed.

For example, in Egypt’s National Plan to Combat Desertification, groundwater resources will be used in measures to grow natural buffers to stop the advancement of desert dunes advancing and threatening the Kharga and Farafra oasis communities and palm plantations. Similar measures can also be found in Chad and Libya.