RIYADH: More than 151 million trees have been planted and 500,000 hectares of land rehabilitated under the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to plant 10 billion in total, the Kingdom’s environment minister said on Wednesday.
The Kingdom has made significant progress under the National Environment Strategy, en-route to achieving Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals in conservation, water sustainability and food security, said Environment, Water and Agriculture Minister Abdulrahman Al-Fadley.
During a press briefing, Al-Fadley also announced the establishment of five specialized environmental centers, including the Middle East’s first Regional Center for Climate Change Studies and the world’s fourth Regional Center for Sand and Dust Storms.
“The Kingdom has (also) established an environmental fund that is the largest of its kind in the region, reflecting a serious commitment to supporting environmental initiatives,” the minister added.
Protected terrestrial areas went from covering 4.5 percent of the Kingdom’s territory to 18.1 percent, and the number of national parks has increased from 18 to 500.
