In view of the high importance of sustainable management of renewable resources in arid lands throughout the Arabian Gulf region, the Gulf Research Center, Dubai, UAE and the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands, Damascus, will organize an executive training program in Arabic.

Titled 'Toward Sustainable Management of Renewable Resources in Arid Lands,' it will be held in Damascus from April 5-16, 2007.

The pioneering program will provide state-of-the-art lectures, case studies and field visits, as well as conduct a workshop. The program will cover wide-ranging issues including management and uses of different types of water, protection of wildlife and biodiversity, use of remote sensing to monitor land degradation, rehabilitation of degraded areas, protected areas management and compacting desertification.

In addition, the requirements of related international environmental conventions will be addressed by the program. Field visits to various sites, including protected areas, research centers for agriculture and water resources and a compacting desertification project are part of the program