The Board of Directors of the National Center for Vegetation Cover and Combating Desertification held its first meeting on Monday under the chairmanship of HE the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen A. AlFadley, in the presence of the newly appointed Board Members.
AlFadley called on the Board Members to present their views and ideas that aim to enhance the work of the Center based on the National Environment Strategy and the relevant regulations. Board Members also discussed the future directions of the Council, the National Environment Strategy, and the new institutional framework for the environment sector. And the role of the Environment Fund and the new national environmental centers in promoting environmental protection and development and achieving the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030.
During the meeting, the Council approved the appointment of Dr. Khaled Al-Abdulqader as Executive Chairman of the Center.
The meeting confirmed that the Center is intended to manage one of the crucial aspects in the environmental field, development of vegetation cover and combating desertification, which is considered one of the environmental priorities set by the National Environment Strategy. And that the natural vegetation cover in forests, pastures and national parks is an important pillar of the sustainability and prosperity of the environment and wildlife.
The National Center for Vegetation Cover and Combating Desertification was established with the approval of the Council of Ministers to be one of the environmental centers that represent the new institutional framework for the environment sector with a mandate to oversee rangelands, forests and national parks' management and investment, preserve plant genetic resources and vegetation cover and to combat desertification in the Kingdom.