H.E. the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Abdulrahman AlFadley, affirmed that Saudi Arabia has played a leading role in mitigating the ecosystem degradation and restoring them at a national level through several initiatives; most notably the Saudi Green Initiative launched by HRH Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and the initiatives of the National Environment Strategy that aim at protecting vegetation cover and wildlife, reducing desertification and enhancing environmental commitment.
This came in a statement delivered by H.E. AlFadley on the World Environment Day which is celebrated globally on June 5 under the theme is “Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.", stressing that the World Environment Day aims to remind everyone of the importance of uniting national and global efforts for sustainable ecosystems.
AlFadley pointed out that the ministry focuses on the goals of these global days aimed at protecting the environment and preserving nature, by supporting the environment sector in the Kingdom in line with the Saudi Vision 2030. Adding that the environment sector has recently achieved several achievements, most notably the preparation and adoption of the National Environment Strategy and new Environment Law, launch of global environmental initiatives under the Saudi G20 Presidency. In addition to declaring the Saudi Environment Week, and the transformation in the institutional frameworks of the environment sector to ensure better implementation and sustainability by establishing 5 specialized environmental centers; the National Center for Meteorology, the National Center for Vegetation Cover, the National Center for Environmental Compliance, the National Center for Wildlife and the National Center for Waste Management, and the Environmental Fund to support the financial sustainability of the sector and protect vegetation cover in pastures and forests, as well as the rehabilitation and development of national parks and the establishment of the Special Forces for Environmental Security.
AlFadley said that the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 represents an urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions rates by nearly half to prevent devastating climate change, and to achieve sustainable development goals, stressing the need to respond to the World Organization's call for action to eradicate poverty and combat diseases, protect biodiversity.
He indicated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia made great efforts to restore ecosystems by launching several campaigns and initiatives such as Let's Make It Green, Green Saudi and Green Middle East initiatives, which will contribute to enhancing biodiversity, combating climate change, reducing carbon emissions, and improving the quality of life.
"Saudi Arabia is distinguished at international level for diverse ecosystems, such as forests, wetlands, deserts, seas, coasts, mountains, and much more, as there are about 67 geological formations in the Kingdom with various biodiversity," AlFadley said. Adding that it has launched two global environmental initiatives under the Saudi G20 Presidency; the Global Coral Reef R&D Accelerator Platform and the Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation and Enhancing Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats.