Conclusion of the activities of the Third International Conference on Sustainable Development, “The Role of Regional Planning in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals Using the Applications of Artificial Intelligence.”

The activities of the Third International Conference “The Role of Regional Planning in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals Using the Applications of Artificial Intelligence” were concluded in the Reda Saeed Conference Hall.

Conference participants recommended declaring the next decade 2025-2035 “the Decade of Sustainable Development in Syria,” emphasizing the preparation of the national strategy for sustainable development, and developing the legislative system to achieve the goals of sustainable development in Syria.

The participants called for adopting the National Guide to Development Indicators as a reference for implementing construction and development plans in the construction and reconstruction phases, giving priority to the needs of each region in relation to the implementation of the seventeen sustainable development goals, and working to strengthen the sustainable eco-tourism industry in Syria.

The recommendations also emphasized the necessity of adopting smart logistics and artificial intelligence algorithms to enhance food and water security as they are the most important pillars of national security for any country. They also emphasized developing sustainable financing methods and tools to achieve sustainable development goals, working to enhance the role of electronic governance in implementing sustainable development plans, and supporting and developing Innovative financing mechanisms.

The recommendations also included the importance of financing environmentally friendly projects that have a positive social impact, stimulating governments and international bodies to enhance digital and technological integration in vital sectors to improve the effectiveness of services, adopting clean and sustainable technology, supporting the maintenance of a balance between technological progress and environmental protection, and supporting the establishment of specialized units within local and regional governments to enhance the efficiency of managing financial resources.

The participants also stressed the need to reduce environmental degradation by using appropriate methods for determining environmental impact (the Lilewold Matrix). This enables identifying the extent of damage to natural resources and the effectiveness of sustainable tourism development plans, to analyze big data in order to understand the needs and destinations of tourists and to provide interactive and enjoyable tourist experiences by integrating digital content with the actual environment.

The participants stressed the importance of providing correct real-time information about tourist flows, which supports the process of rural spatial development, as well as the necessity of using urban simulation programs as a technology tool to achieve sustainable planning and move to green sustainability strategies in transport planning related to urban form within major cities and evaluate the sustainability of the transport plans that work to improve the living conditions of current and future generations in light of quality of life standards.

They emphasized supporting and developing innovative financing mechanisms, encouraging the use of financing tools such as green bonds and social impact bonds to finance environmentally friendly projects with a positive social impact, supporting the establishment of specialized units within local and regional governments to enhance the efficiency of managing financial resources, and the necessity of activating water basin management strategies in dry areas through building on a conscious plan for integrated management of its surface and groundwater resources.

Participants pointed out the importance of choosing the correct approach that supports geophysical methods to determine water harvesting sites, which saves time and effort in the process of searching for these sites, and applying smart management of artificial intelligence assets, the Internet of Things, and data analysis in water resources management, whether they are intangible assets such as human resources, data, and software. , or physical, such as infrastructure, pipes, tanks, treatment plants, and digital and automated measuring devices, because these technologies are important in the effective use of equipment, proactive maintenance, real-time monitoring, and data-based decision-making.

The participants pointed out the adoption of the artificial neural networks (NNA) model in the hydrology and hydrogeology sectors to enhance the sustainable management of water resources and predict their behavior and motivate governments and international bodies to enhance digital and technological integration in vital sectors such as health, education and agriculture to improve the effectiveness of services and support and adopt clean and sustainable technology to preserve balance between technological progress and environmental protection.

The participants also called for strengthening efforts to protect cybersecurity to ensure the safety of vital data and information, enhancing the ability of countries to confront cyber challenges, enhancing cooperation and encouraging partnerships between various stakeholders to finance and implement sustainable regional projects, as well as the need for governments to provide significant funding to develop and