Protected land as percentage of total land area: 0.1% partially protected

CO₂ emissions trend: 8.3 tonnes per capita

ENVIRONMENTAL TREATIES

		Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Washington DC, 1973		yes
		Convention on Biological Diversity Earth Summit in Rio, 1992		yes
		1992 Amendment to protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer (amendment to Montreal Protocol) Copenhagen, 1992		no
		Kyoto Convention on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions Earth Summit in Kyoto, 1997		no
		Basel convention on the dumping of hazardous wastes (Basel) Basel, 1989		yes
		Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) Ramsar, Iran 1971		yes

The UN Development Program has described Libya as more than 90% "wasteland." Both nature and man have conspired against the environment. Apart from two coastal strips – the Jeffara Plain and the Jabal al Akhdar in Cyrenaica – together with the Fazzan Oasis, most of Libya is desert. Much of the irrigated area is saline because of unwise use of naturally occurring water from artesian wells. Near Tripoli, seawater has penetrated the water table as far as 20 km (12 miles) inland.

From "The Financial Times World Desk Reference" © Dorling Kindersley 2004