RIYADH — Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture and President of 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Abdulrahman Alfadley emphasized that Saudi Arabia's environmental efforts are founded on strategic, methodical planning, culminating in elevating the level of ambition in the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative, which include rehabilitating 40 million hectares of degraded land, equivalent to planting 10 billion trees. He said that over 250,000 hectares have been rehabilitated to date, and more than 115 million trees will be planted by the end of this year. The minister made the remarks during a panel discussion titled "Leadership in climate action and sustainable development" at the International Exhibition and Forum for Afforestation Technologies, held as part of COP16. During the panel discussion, Saudi Arabia's environmental objectives, initiatives, and strategies, as well as its global roadmap for environmental action and the achievements of the Saudi Green and Middle East Green Initiatives were discussed. Alfadley said that the Kingdom launched a global initiative during its presidency of the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit in 2020 to rehabilitate degraded lands, alongside the Middle East Green Initiative to plant 50 billion trees. The country also developed action plans and mechanisms, including water conservation measures and availability of seeds to meet afforestation targets. He emphasized the importance of the Kingdom's food security strategy, aiming to reduce food waste from 33 percent to 15 percent by 2030, pointing out that the agricultural sector, which accounts for 14 percent of carbon emissions, could significantly reduce emissions by halving food waste and loss. He also indicated that the Kingdom increased its water recycling in agriculture from 500,000 cubic meters to 2 million cubic meters, targeting 90 percent reuse of treated water to promote sustainability and mitigate environmental impacts. The minister highlighted the Kingdom's commitment to the circular economy, waste recycling, and resource preservation, pointing out that Saudi Arabia has successfully eliminated fuel burning for water production, previously consuming around 300,000 barrels per day and, starting next year, the practice will cease entirely. He said that the Kingdom's water management strategy includes maintaining an annual water budget of 25 billion cubic meters, equivalent to Egypt's Nile River share, while optimizing agricultural crop selection based on water usage. The minister added that the Kingdom has identified 11 strategic crops for local production and established the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC) to invest in agriculture abroad and enhance global food supplies. These measures have saved approximately 10 billion cubic meters of water annually and set safe water extraction limits until 2030. As part of the Kingdom's water management policies, he indicated that desalinated water constitutes 65 percent of Saudi Arabia's drinking water supply, and the cost of water production has decreased to one-third of 2016 levels. Treated water is also utilized in afforestation to achieve the Saudi Green Initiative's goals. The minister emphasized the pivotal role of the private sector, with a 50 percent contribution to afforestation achievements, adding that environmental organizations and green associations in Saudi Arabia have grown 25-fold, further supporting the initiative. He indicated that the Kingdom aims to designate 30 percent of its land and marine areas as protected zones by 2030, surpassing international commitments by more than 18 months.
