Saudi Arabia rehabilitates 250,000 hectares of degraded land: Al-Fadley

Abdulrahman Al-Fadley, Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture

Saudi Arabia rehabilitated over 250,000 hectares of degraded land under the Saudi Green Initiative and planted more than 115 million trees by the end of the year, Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, and Chair of the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16), Abdulrahman Al-Fadley, said.

Speaking at COP16, Al-Fadley highlighted the systematic and strategic efforts of the environmental sector, culminating in the ambitious goals of the Saudi Green Initiative. These include rehabilitating 40 million hectares of degraded land, equivalent to planting 10 billion trees.

During Saudi Arabia's G20 presidency in 2020, the Kingdom launched initiatives to rehabilitate degraded lands and the Middle East Green Initiative, aiming to plant 50 billion trees. These initiatives include implementing plans to conserve water resources, securing seeds and seedlings, and achieving the afforestation goals.

Al-Fadley also emphasized the National Food Security Strategy, which aims to reduce food waste and loss from 33% to 15% by 2030. He noted that the agricultural sector accounts for 14% of carbon emissions, and halving food waste and loss would significantly curb emissions. He added that Saudi Arabia has increased the reuse of agricultural wastewater from 500,000 cubic meters to two million cubic meters daily, with a target of recycling 90% of treated water to support sustainability and reduce environmental impacts.

The minister outlined the Kingdom's commitment to the circular economy, waste recycling, and conserving natural resources. He revealed that Saudi Arabia has eliminated the use of fuel burning for water production, which previously consumed 300,000 barrels per day. By next year, fuel burning for this purpose will be entirely phased out. The country also seeks to balance water resource usage with economic development without depleting reserves.

Saudi Arabia's annual water budget, equivalent to Egypt's share of the Nile (25 billion cubic meters), necessitated the development of a crop structure program to determine suitable crops based on water consumption. The program identified 11 strategic commodities that can be locally produced. Additionally, the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Co. (SALIC) contributes to increasing the global food supply through overseas agricultural investments.

Through these strategies, the Kingdom has saved approximately 10 billion cubic meters of water and established safe water withdrawal limits until 2030. Groundwater is no longer the sole source of drinking water, with 65% now coming from desalination. Water production and purchasing costs have been reduced to one-third of their 2016 levels, and treated water is utilized for afforestation to meet Saudi Green Initiative targets.

The minister also stressed the essential role of the private sector, which contributes to 50% of afforestation achievements. The number of environmental associations and green organizations has grown 25-fold to support the initiative. Saudi Arabia has also committed to designating 30% of its terrestrial and marine areas as protected zones by 2030, a pledge made more than 18 months ahead of international commitments.