President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmad al-Sharaa, said on Thursday that Syria has faced compliacted environmental challenges in recent years, whose effects have accumulated on both people and resources.
“Amazon rainforests stand as a symbol of life on our planet and a living testament to the profound connection between humanity and nature,” President al-Sharaa said in a speech at the summit of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), held in the city of Belém, Brazil.
“From this perspective, we renew our shared commitment to protecting our environment and climate for a safe and sustainable future for our peoples,” the President added.
He affirmed that the large-scale displacement movements during the years of war have placed additional pressure on resources.
“Our ambitious vision is reflected in our reconstruction and recovery plans, which we have begun implementing and translating into practical policies, programs and projects,” the President added.
President al-Sharaa stressed that the Syrian Arab Republic, which once was an oasis praised by poets, has faced complex environmental challenges during the last years whose effects have accumulated on both people and resources.
“Rebuilding the Earth is a duty upon humanity—but it must not come at the expense of nature. Today, the effects of climate change have reached their peak, as Syria experienced this year a drought unlike any it has seen in over six decades,” the President said.
He added that major challenges bring with them valuable opportunities. “That is why we invite you to invest in Syria—in sectors such as renewable energy, sustainable green cities, and pioneering investment projects that are protected, supported and guaranteed by the state.”
“Today, we reaffirm our full commitment to international agreements, foremost among them the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, for which we are gathered here today, we will immediately begin submitting our national communications and nationally determined contributions in line with global standards,” President al-Sharaa said.
He added “in the context of our presence today in the vibrant heart of the Amazon, we call for extending the bonds of cooperation from the Amazon to the Barada and Euphrates rivers, within a framework of strong inter-state collaboration and in support of the growing role of developing nations—led today with distinction by Brazil.”
“We have come to you today realizing the magnitude of the challenge that Syria is experiencing, but we believe that no matter how great the challenges are, the will of the people is capable of overcoming them when they unite around a noble goal, an ambitious vision, and a clear plan, which is what we are offering for reconstruction in a way that redefines the relationship between man and urban development and establishes a sustainable environmental system,” the President said.
“In conclusion, our Creator says in the Quran- And We made from water every living thing- and Our noble Prophet forbade us from cutting down trees, even in war, and he said : Do not be wasteful, even if you are by a flowing river,” the President concluded.
Al-Hussein/ Mazen Eyon
