[22/08/2026 03:30]

ULAANBAATAR – SABA
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation for the Irrigation Sector Engineer Ahmed al-Zamaki held talks Saturday with Ulrich Appel Programme Unit Specialist at the Global Environment Facility (GEF) on the sidelines of the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP17), being held in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar.

The discussions focused on cooperation and coordination, as well as enhancing the support provided to Yemen in the areas of environment, climate action, and combating desertification.

During the meeting, Deputy Minister al-Zamaki expressed his appreciation for the support provided by the Global Environment Facility to Yemen, particularly in implementing environmental and climate projects, preparing the National Report on Combating Desertification, and supporting efforts to address drought-related challenges and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

He stressed the importance of increasing the level of support allocated to Yemen under the GEF-9 project, which is currently being prepared and planned, in line with the scale of the environmental and climate challenges facing the country. He particularly highlighted the need for support in combating land degradation, addressing drought, sustainably managing natural resources, and strengthening the capacity of farming communities to adapt to climate change.

Al-Zamaki also presented a number of strategic priority projects in Yemen, foremost among them the Hassan Strategic Dam Project in the Abyan Delta.

He described the project as an example of an initiative whose objectives align with the priorities of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and climate change adaptation goals, given its direct impact on strengthening the resilience of agricultural communities, improving farmers’ livelihoods, and reducing the effects of climate change on natural resources and food security.

For his part, Ulrich Appel affirmed the Global Environment Facility’s interest in continuing to support least developed countries, including Yemen, and assisting their efforts to address environmental and climate challenges.

He praised the level of coordination among Yemeni government institutions in implementing projects financed by the facility, noting that such coordination would improve project implementation efficiency, help achieve their objectives, and ensure the sustainability of their results, thereby supporting Yemen’s efforts to protect the environment, combat desertification, and adapt to climate change.

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