Saudi Green Initiative Raises Awareness of Environmental Work Importance

Saudi Green Initiative Raises Awareness of Importance of Environmental Work — Saudi Green Initiative

The Kingdom has designated the 27th of March of each year as an annual occasion to raise awareness about the importance of environmental work under the name “Saudi Green Initiative Day,” coinciding with the anniversary of the initiative’s launch on the same day in 2021.

The launch of the Saudi Green Initiative came as a natural extension of Vision 2030. The vision aims to unify and intensify sustainability efforts across the Kingdom. This initiative sets comprehensive goals. These goals include balancing and reducing emissions, increasing afforestation and land reclamation efforts. Moreover, it seeks to protect terrestrial and marine areas.

The inaugural Saudi Green Initiative Day aims to raise awareness about ongoing environmental efforts in the Kingdom. Additionally, it encourages all citizens and residents to contribute to building a more sustainable future.

Saudi Green Initiative Day encourages all citizens and residents in KSA to participate in its first edition. It also urges them to spread awareness and knowledge. It seeks to educate them to take practical actions to support and promote environmental activities.

Saudi Green Initiative Day 2024 highlights the tangible impact of over 80 ongoing initiatives from both public and private sectors. These initiatives are spread in 13 regions across the Kingdom. The initiatives represent investments totaling more than 705 billion Saudi riyals in the green economy.

This occasion is significant as it aims to unify Saudi efforts towards a sustainable future. It also includes monitoring KSA’s ongoing efforts to protect biodiversity as part of the Saudi Green Initiative’s goals.

Besides, KSA aims to protect 103 terrestrial and marine areas. This represents about 10% of its total area, dedicated to the sustainable development of renewable natural resources for human benefit. This includes 15 declared protected areas occupying 4% of KSA’s area. Furthermore, there is a proposal to protect 75 areas, comprising 62 terrestrial areas and 13 coastal and marine areas.

As for the percentage of protected terrestrial areas, it reached 18.1%, and the percentage of protected marine areas is 6.49% of the Kingdom’s total area. Authorities are implementing five initiatives to increase the percentage of protected terrestrial areas to more than 21%.

The goal is to reach 22% for protected terrestrial areas and 24% for marine areas by the year 2025, with the percentage increasing to 30% by 2030. The aim is to increase the percentage of protected terrestrial areas to more than 22% and marine areas to more than 26% by 2030.

Adding to previous efforts, KSA is establishing a protected areas network in the AlUla Governorate, covering an area of 15,000 square kilometers. Moreover, 38 million square meters of the Nafud Desert will be conserved by 2025.

Saudi Environmental Conservation Efforts

Furthermore, the National Center for Wildlife Development works on breeding and reintroducing endangered species in 10-15 sites each year. In 2021, the center released over 1,200 endangered animals into the wild. In November 2023, the center released 85 endangered fungal organisms and established a $25 million fund for Arabian leopard conservation.

Moreover, experimental projects were initiated to reintroduce the Nubian ibex in the Asir Mountains. In early 2023, 1,580 wild animals were released in the AlUla Reserve.

The Kingdom is making significant efforts in marine conservation and reducing maritime pollution. There are three existing marine reserves in the Kingdom: the Farasan Islands Reserve and the Umm Al-Qamari Islands Reserve. Additionally, there is the Jubail Marine Wildlife Reserve.

Saudi Arabia’s coastal areas in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf host various habitats such as coral reefs, seagrasses, and mangrove trees, which hold significant environmental, social, economic, and cultural importance for the Kingdom. The Kingdom has been able to preserve these ecosystems by launching numerous initiatives and forming committees such as the “Permanent Committee for the Protection of Coastal Environment.

In September 2021, the Kingdom entered into three agreements to support environmental initiatives, aiming to increase turtle nesting rates in Ras Baridi by 20% and hatchling survival rates by 25-30%. Additionally, KSA launched initiatives to restore coral reefs, planting hundreds of thousands of them. Furthermore, plans are underway to establish a natural marine reserve covering an area of 6,693 square kilometers as part of the new special economic zone. The Kingdom is cooperating with regional countries and the International Maritime Organization to designate the Red Sea as a special maritime zone, which will come into effect in January 2025.