security, raising income level and reduce poverty. The 2nd phase is expected to start soon will include the drought resilience of the pastoral and agro-pastoral communities. 369. In line to the goal of fighting desertification the closure area is expanded to 200,000 ha. Forest reserve areas have been declared and forest management practices have been introduced. The reserve area of more than 105,000 sq. km. is a major undertaking in the northern escarpment viewing towards the Red Sea coast. On the other hand, wild preservations are also promoted through the Environment Management Plan and the accompanying regulations introduced on wild life. Forestation schemes by the communities, members of the army and national service members have continued and cutting live trees is banned by law. The Student Summer Work Programme initiated in 1994 is also a successful venture and planted 22 million trees with a success rate of growth. Furthermore, concerted effort is also made to ensure livestock health and development. In general, the environment security effort in Eritrea is steadily expanding and was also reflected in the 2008 Satellite imagery report of the UN Center for Environment Monitoring in Cambridge. (iii) Sustaining the Marine Environment 370. Servicing the ecosystems by sustaining marine biodiversity has also been advanced. Hence, maintaining the pollution free coast line has been targeted, legislations enforced, marine reserves established and preserving the peculiarities of Eritrea‟s resources promoted. Five of the world's seven species of sea turtles, dolphins, dugongs and occasionally whales are found in Eritrean waters (UN, May 2005). Olive Ridley turtle (an endangered species), the first recorded in the Red Sea has also been identified by marine scientists and it is believed that the corals there have developed adaptation to deal with high amount of sunlight in the waters (BBC - Ocean Series, 2008). 371. In this respect, the effort of the Eritrean Government to promote the mangrove forest project is an innovation to sustain the marine environment. The potential of mangroves to increase food production all the way up to the food chain has also been considered and millions of mangrove trees have been planted along the coast in the last 20 years. They grew in areas where rainwater is washing into the sea and provided nitrogen, phosphorous and iron elements lacking in seawater. Fresh leaves and dried mangrove seeds are also used as livestock feed, supplemented by a small amount of fish meal prepared from fish waste. The project also taught herders that the seaweed that washes up on the shore can be dried, processed and used as animal feed. (iv) Energy challenge and the Environment 372. Estimates show that of the Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) in Eritrea, biomass accounted for 75.5% and oil products 24.5% (1.4% electricity). Thus the use of energy efficient technologies in the generation of electricity has remained the main in the last 18 years. But energy efficient devices and pioneering of small scale initiatives in renewable Page 96 of 100