TRIPOLI, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Libya said on Monday it had approved a 5.8-million-U.S.-dollar project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to address environmental and development challenges in the Ubari Lakes basin in western Libya.
The five-year initiative, to be implemented in partnership with Libya's Ministry of Environment, will focus on combating land degradation and biodiversity loss while promoting sustainable economic development in the region, UNDP said in a statement.
The project will also lay the groundwork for the proposed Ubari Lakes National Park, covering about 100,000 hectares, and includes plans to rehabilitate 225 hectares of wetlands and oases.
UNDP said the initiative is expected to support around 2,250 people -- half of them women -- through sustainable employment opportunities, and to create about 700 new jobs in ecotourism and sustainable agriculture.
Integrating nature-based solutions with local cultural practices is a key step toward meeting Libya's climate commitments under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UNDP said. ■