Highlights on the second day of the conference “Damascene Iris: Together to Preserve Our Identity and Natural Heritage” C

The second day of the environmental conference, "The Damascene Iris: Together to Preserve Our Identity and Natural Heritage," which was sponsored by the Faculty of Science, Damascus University, saw sessions on environmentally friendly solutions to problems, endangered species and ways to protect them, and recording Syria's natural heritage.

During an informative introductory lecture for environmental workers, Dr. Alaa Suleiman from the Centre for Scientific Studies and Research discussed the role of technology in supporting the environmental sector. Specifically, he focused on communications technology, which is seen as the cornerstone of the modern renaissance in terms of environmental protection and sustainable solutions.

The national strategy for preserving genetic assets in Syria was covered in a lecture by Dr. Radwan Badr al-Din of the Public Authority for Biotechnology. This strategy consists of several components, such as gathering genetic resources from different sources and formally or biologically characterising them using genes, recording this approved data, and guaranteeing the use of these genetic assets by users. In order to fully catalogue and access all genetic resources found in Syria, as well as any associated data, international organisations like the Agriculture Organisation and the United Nations Development Programme have been provided with documentation and a detailed description of these plants locally.

In his lecture titled "Syrian industry and environmental pollution, the cement industry as a model," chemist Fawaz Ghalioun discussed the need for factories to switch to renewable energy sources in light of the dangers of air pollution caused by burning gases and their byproducts, particularly from cement factories that contribute to global warming, which is the root cause of climate problems worldwide. Humanity is the ultimate goal of both progress and the environment. There can be no progress in a feeble and decaying environment, and sustainable development needs a strong foundation.

Dr. Israa Al-Nawiji from Al-Furat University discussed the value of parks and their part in protecting and sustaining biodiversity while emphasising the urban setting. She brought up the misconception that parks are just for entertainment, which results from a lack of biodiversity awareness among society's members. As a result, new concepts need to be put out.

Dr. Ulfat Hassan of the Environment Directorate in Tartous discussed the importance of biodiversity, its objectives, how it helps achieve sustainable development, the threats to biodiversity on the Syrian coast, and the protocols in place to protect it, whether it be marine, plant, or animal biodiversity.