Damascus, June 17 (SANA)Syria is expanding efforts to restore vegetation cover and rehabilitate natural rangelands across theSyrian Badia, a vast steppe region that covers more than half of the country’s territory, as part of long-term programs aimed at combatingdesertification, improvingenvironmental sustainabilityand supporting livestock production.

The General Authority for the Management, Development and Protection ofthe Badiasaid it has launched a series of restoration projects focused on plantingdrought-resistant species and improving grazing lands across the Syrian Badia, which covers more than 55% of the country’s territory.

The initiative coincides with the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, observed annually on June 17 to raise awareness of land degradation and promote sustainable land management.

Officials said the Badia serves as Syria’s main source of natural forage for livestock but has experienced significant environmental degradation in recent decades due to climate change, recurring droughts and unsustainable land-use practices. According to the authority, nearly 75% of the region has been affected to varying degrees.

Hassan Fares, director of Natural Resources Development at the authority, said approximately 900,000 drought-tolerant seedlings were produced and planted during the past year, including forage and shrub species adapted to arid conditions.

He said planting operations were carried out near grazing areas and rural communities using water-conservation techniques designed to maximize rainfall capture and improve seedling survival rates.

Native seed collection and water-harvesting projectsAlongside planting programs, the authority is implementing direct-seeding initiatives using native plant species collected from designated seed-production sites in the Badia.

Fares said around 3,000 kilograms of locally adapted seeds are collected annually and distributed to provinces for rangeland restoration programs. The seeds are sown ahead of seasonal rainfall to increase germination rates and support natural vegetation recovery.

The authority is also constructing small dams and water-harvesting reservoirs along seasonal watercourses to improve rainwater retention, reduce soil erosion and create conditions conducive to vegetation growth.

One of the projects currently underway is located in the al-Batma area of the Syrian Badia, where engineers are working to enhance water storage capacity and restore degraded grazing lands.

Rehabilitation efforts in Damascus countryside

Adnan al-Qajmi, director of the authority’s Damascus countryside branch, said the province’s steppe region covers approximately 18,000 square kilometers and contains 41 service wells that supply water to livestock herders.

Around 20 of those wells have been rehabilitated and returned to operation usingrenewable-energy systems, he said.

The region also includes seven protected areas dedicated to rangeland conservation, sand-dune stabilization and anti-desertification efforts. Rehabilitation work has been ongoing at those sites for the past two years.

Target of 1.5 million seedlings

Authorities said a rehabilitation project at the al-Batma reserve, implemented in cooperation with the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), aims to strengthen vegetation cover, improve grazing conditions and increase the use of rainwater-harvesting systems.

The project includes the planting of forest trees around facilities and residential areas, the development of new forage fields and the construction of earthen and stone barriers to improve water retention.

Al-Qajmi said authorities plan to plant 210,000 seedlings this year as part of a broader target of 1.5 million seedlings over the next three years.

He added that desertification currently affects about 10% of the Badia in Damascus countryside and expressed hope that ongoing restoration efforts will reduce that figure while helping restore the steppe’s role in supporting livestock production and sustainable development.

This year’s World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is being observed under the theme “Rangelands: Recognize, Restore, Respect,” highlighting the importance of grazing lands for biodiversity,environmental balanceandfood security.