Finland to contribute $1.6 million to help fight desertification

Seven Arab states, including Morocco, will receive support to implement anti-desertification programs thanks to a $1.6 million contribution made by the government of Finland to the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) trust fund to combat desertification and drought, it was announced in New York on Monday.

The agreement was signed by the Finnish U.N. Ambassador and UNDP associate-administrator.

The Finnish contribution will help Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Yemen and Palestine meet their commitments under the U.N. convention to combat desertification and drought.

It will assist them to strengthen local capacities to carry out land development and anti-desertification programmes.

The initiative will be expanded to other countries as more sources are mobilized, UNDP said.