The UAE has signed a funding agreement to support the eradication of the red palm weevil in the region, according to official sources.
The agreement has been signed by the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) and the Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (KCGEB) at UAE University with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The red palm weevil is said to be a highly destructive pest that blights palm trees.
Through the agreement, MOCCAE is expected to provide financial support to the Red Palm Weevil Trust Fund related to the FAO regional program on the pest’s eradication and to the KCGEB in its efforts to control the transboundary insect and reduce palm tree losses in the Middle East and North Africa.
The final objective is the eventual eradication of the insect from the region, as Mauritania managed to do with technical assistance from FAO, said the official sources.
Under the terms of the agreement, MOCCAE will channel $1 million to KCGEB to develop genetic methods to control the red palm weevil.
The agreement aims to support the FAO regional trust fund program with $1 million to support countries to control and contain the spread of and eventually eradicate this transboundary pest, and enhance regional efforts aimed at controlling and reducing its devastating effects on the environment, food security, and livelihoods.
“The red palm weevil is an invasive transboundary insect, which afflicts more than 40 palm species — including date palms — causing considerable damage in the UAE, Gulf countries, and across the region,” said Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment.
“This agreement builds on a campaign initiated by MOCCAE in 2019 to leverage the latest technology to eradicate the weevil, thereby alleviating the socio-economic threat it poses — especially to rural communities,” she added.
“The red palm weevil has destroyed large numbers of palm trees and represents an ongoing threat to livelihoods,” said Professor Khaled Amiri, Director of KCGEB.
“This funding agreement will support the knowledge transfer and capacity building activities for the sustainable management of the red palm weevil in the region,” he added.