MUSCAT: A new report issued by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) confirmed that deserts cover large parts of the Arab region, where arable land constitutes only 8.6 percent of the total land areas in the region, pastures 26 percent and forests 7 percent.

The report added that the total arable land varies from one country to another, ranging between 30 percent of the land in Syria and Lebanon, and only half a percent in each of the Sultanate of Oman and Saudi Arabia.

The report stated that indicators in the Arab region indicate that 92 percent of the lands are very arid, while 73 percent of arable lands are affected by land degradation, which affects their productivity.

The Arab region needs to take effective measures to confront the unprecedented extreme conditions, and to address the risks faced by the agricultural sector due to climate change, and its impact on food security, and this will require the participation of Arab countries individually and collectively to mitigate exposure to the effects of climate change and build resilience.

The report provides technical support for the development of a common concept of climate action in the agricultural sector, and addresses the links between the priority areas identified in workshops related to the exchange of best practices, cooperation, partnership, financial support, measurement and data collection.