Saudi Arabia cultivates over 230,000 trees during environment week
SPA
April 06, 2019 22:16
- Activities included included 173 cleanup campaigns at wild sites and along beaches across the Kingdom
- More than 856 government and private bodies participated in the initiative
RIYADH: The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture cultivated 230,715 wild trees in parks and rangelands across the country during the first Saudi Environment Week.
More than 856 government and private bodies participated in the initiative, launched by the ministry under the title “Protecting our environment for our society’s well-being.”
The ministry also sent 71 million SMS messages to raise awareness about the environment, and generated interactions from 12 million followers on its online platforms through the hashtag #bi’atok_baytok (Your environment, your home).
The ministry said that the week, organized in 13 provinces, had attracted more than 527,443 visitors to various initiatives, which had included 173 cleanup campaigns at wild sites and along beaches, and 39 seeding campaigns, in addition to the release of a number of wild animals into protected wildlife parks across the Kingdom in order to preserve the ecological balance and help with species conservation.
It noted the large participation of school students from 1,663 schools in different provinces, as well as over 190 associations, unions and development committees. The number of awareness camps held, meanwhile, was 63, during which over 198 lectures and awareness seminars were conducted.
The ministry praised the valuable participation of over 4,000 mosque preachers, who raised awareness about the environment, and urged people to preserve it as a religious and moral duty.
Different activities were planned across the Kingdom. In Tabuk, residents visited an environmental camp at Prince Fahd bin Sultan Park, an exhibition at Al-Makan Mall featuring a visual display on environmental awareness, and events put on by the Green Tabuk Association, Tabuk Technical College and the Saudi Meteorology Commission.
Practical activities were also organized, including seed planting at Tabuk University campus and wildflower cultivation along many of the region’s highways. The week also featured lectures from environmentalists, most prominently at the ministry’s Tabuk branch and at Tabuk University.
Children participate in a cleanup drive during the environment week organized in 13 provinces of Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
In Haql, the town celebrated the week by launching a volunteer project, featuring 500 students, which planted thousands of trees and seedlings and helped to clean up several local beaches. Al-Bad’ welcomed the week with a series of events, including rejuvenating local parks and planting trees on the outskirts of the town, strategically placed to reduce desertification.
In Amlaj, activities focused on how to use and recycle wastewater to irrigate gardens, along with protecting and cleaning the region’s beaches, which are a protected habitat for nesting sea turtles. Desert trees were also replanted.
The governors of Duba and Al-Wajh also used the week to launch tree-planting schemes and beach-cleaning exercises, while in Tayma the local governor, Saad bin Naif Al-Sudairi, announced that the regional government would begin to use more environment-friendly vehicles.
Saudi Arabia is taking different measures to make the Kingdom an environment-friendly country, which is one of the many goals of Saudi Vision 2030. Additionally, renewable energy holds a promising place in Saudi Arabia’s future. Earlier this year, the Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) of the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources expressed interest in seven solar photovoltaic (PV) projects.
These projects represent the next phase in Saudi Arabia’s ambitious renewable energy plans, which seek to achieve more than 25 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar power generation in the next five years, and close to 60 GW over the next decade, of which 40 GW will be generated from solar energy and 16 GW from onshore wind.
According to REPDO, the seven projects, located in Qurayyat, Madinah, Rafha, Al-Faisaliah, Rabigh, Jeddah and Mahd Al-Dahab, will supply enough energy to power 226,500 households and create more than 4,500 jobs during construction, operation and maintenance.
The Kingdom aims to create over the next decade a global hub of renewable energy capability, spanning local manufacturing to project development, domestically and abroad.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1478666/saudi-arabia
Saudi Aramco to plant one million trees in eastern Saudi Arabia
Aramco indicated that it will use treated water in this initiative after its has been disinfected and sterilized. (Supplied)
Aramco launched a campaign to grow one million trees in Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia, in line with the National Transformation Program 2020.
The intiative by the top oil producer includes planting 26 types of trees and seedlings that do not consume large amounts of water, in order to preserve the kingdom’s natural resources.
Aramco indicated that it will use treated water in this initiative after its has been disinfected and sterilized.
Aramco, in statements to Al Arabiya.net, that it will use trees with specific charateritics that match the kingdom’s dry climate, including ones like Al Sammar, Al Ghaf, Al Badal, Al Salam, Al Talh, Al Athal and those the do not need lots of water.
Amin Nasser, CEO of Saudi Aramco, said: "Saudi Arabia, with its desert climate, is home to many unique environments that demand high care. So we are keen to ensure that our initiative of planting one million trees by 2025 has five elements to enhance sustainability and quality of life.”
Nasser added that in addition to not relying on groundwater in the project, innovative technology will be used to reduce the required amounts of irrigation water by up to 70%.
He noted that the million-tree project will also create a shield that would reduce the effects of sandstorms, and will also absorb 20 thousand tons of carbon dioxide each year.
In addition, he said it will provide an environment suitable for activities such as hiking, walking and exercising, to improve life quality in those areas, in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
Last Update: Wednesday, 9 May 2018 KSA 12:21 - GMT 09:21
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/bu...e-million-trees-in-eastern-Saudi-Arabia-.html
Saudi Arabia Seeks Development of Vegetation by Planting 10 Million Trees in 2020
The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture launched several initiatives to develop vegetation in the Kingdom. (SPA)
Riyadh - Nayef al-Rashid
The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture launched on Monday several initiatives to develop vegetation in the Kingdom, including a project to develop tree locations and grow forests.
The aim is to plant 10 million trees and improve vegetation in 60,000 hectares by the end of 2020, said the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadle.
This initiative will use local plants and renewable water sources.
Fadle, meanwhile, revealed that the ministry has completed preparations for the national strategy on water, which includes a comprehensive assessment of environment components, such as forests, marine life, air quality and waste management.
The strategy was prepared by following global practices adopted by several developed countries, said the minister.
He made his remarks during the inauguration of a workshop on fighting deforestation and reaching innovative means to manage dry regions in Riyadh.
Fadle continued that the ministry prepared the “green kingdom program” that aims at building the required cognitive foundation and executive framework to develop vegetation and combat deforestation.
The minister said that his ministry completed a strategy on pastures, which aims at achieving sustainable management of pastoral resources. This includes introducing modern patterns in livestock breeding.
https://aawsat.com/english/home/art...ent-vegetation-planting-10-million-trees-2020
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GREEN RIYADH—Saudi Capital to plant 7.5 Million Trees
March 20, 2019 Millichronicle
1 min read
Riyadh — Saudi Arabia’s grand capital Riyadh will go absolute green with 7.5 Million trees in the nearing future years to rank Riyadh among top 100 cities of the world. Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulazeez launched “Green Riyadh” project as a part of four grand projects chaired by his efficient son and the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The planting project will cover gardens, parks, mosques, schools, academic, healthcare, and public facilities in addition to Airport, roads, streets, parking lots and valleys to envisage the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
In order to facilitate the project, new irrigation networks and conduits will be established to recycle water which is mostly wasted in the valleys.
Special species of plants and trees will be used to expand as a shade cover, the species will survive in Riyadh’s desert environment which don’t require huge amount of water.
The Green Riyadh initiative will lead to improved air quality and reduced temperatures in the city, which makes healthy lifestyle for the Riyadh residents.
Over 6,000 schools, 2,000 car parking sites, 1670 government facilities, 390 healthcare facilities, 64 universities, 16,400 km street and roads, 1,100 km green belts along utilities lines (electricity towers, and petrol pipelines), 272 km valleys, 175,000 square km of empty land, 3,330 neighborhood gardens, 43 parks and 9,000 mosques will be covered with greenery, with over 1,100 km green tree species using 72 local tree species, which are able to survive in the Riyadh environment.
https://millichronicle.com/2019/03/green-riyadh-saudi-capital-riyadh-to-plant-7-5-million-trees/
Millions of Trees to Make Riyadh a Cool City
May 6, 2019 |
2 comments
Bold Experiment to Plant Trees Could Cool Riyadh by 2 degrees Celsius (Illustration:Riyadh Development Authority)
Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, has an amazing plan to green the city. Last week was my first visit there. Even though there are no issues of rising sea level in Riyadh, what they are doing is very much related to our rapidly warming planet and thus seems relevant to share. The image above is an illustration of what the central wadi will look like when complete.
Over the next decade they will plant 7.5 million trees, bringing the vegetation coverage from the current 1.5 percent up to 9 percent. This is one of five separate massive projects planned to rapidly transform the city, improving the quality of life and the environment. What makes the tree planting stand out is that its purpose to intentionally cool the city.
Studies show that at this scale, creating shade can cool the city overall by a stunning 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) and in the most densely forested areas, by as much as 15 degrees C (27 degrees F).
The detailed plans call for 72 species of trees that are native to the region. In addition to the cooling effect, this level of tree planting promises to reduce levels of dust and increase humidity.
As orientation, the map below shows that Riyadh is almost in the center of the country. Not only is it the Capital, it is the largest city with almost eight million residents. The elevation is approximately two thousand feet above sea level on the high desert plateau that dominates.
Riyadh is approximately 2,000 feet above sea level, high desert. Saudi Arabia also has large exposure to rising sea level on the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf.
My visit was as part of a team of eight independent experts invited by the Riyadh Development Authority who are overseeing the projects to transform Riyadh’s Lifestyle as part of
“Riyadh 2030” . The other four projects are:
- Ultra Modern mass transit of subways and buses, nearing completion.
- Creation of new King Salman park which would be the largest metropolitan park in the world, larger than New York’s Central Park and London’s Hyde Park.
- Riyadh Art, the world’s largest investment in public artwork, making it a “gallery without walls.”
- 135 km (84 mile) “Sports Boulevard” with cycling, various activities and venues, encouraging activity integrated with environmental features: water features, cooler subterranean areas, architectural shaded zones, and cooling towers creating artificial wind.
It will be very interesting to see how these projects are implemented, particularly the massive tree planting––in fact more than interesting, it can be an example for the rest of the world. This scale effort could not only improve life for the residents of Riyadh but be a technique for almost any location to adapt to a world of rising temperatures.
Furthermore, not only does the tree canopy provide shade, it of course takes carbon dioxide naturally out of the atmosphere, thereby having an effect to reduce the greenhouse gas warming effect. And just to make the connection, it is that global warming that is melting the polar ice, that is raising sea levels at an accelerating rate.
A large factor in the plans for the new seven and a half million trees is how to irrigate them. The design calls for expansion of waste water treatment and using the treated water for irrigation through highly efficient underground and drip delivery systems. To answer a related issue, the fresh water needs of Riyadh are filled by a combination of wells into deep aquifers, and increasingly supplemented by desalination of seawater from the Arabian Gulf (on some maps shown by the former name Persian Gulf). That water is pumped and piped across the desert.
The new system of subways and buses should improve the quality of life, while improving the environmental air quality and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. They are scheduled to be fully operational over the next year or two. The tree planting and other three programs are to begin this year and be completed by 2030. The Saudis are to be congratulated not only for the modernization and beautification of their capital, but also for thinking “big” in terms of ways to cope with and potentially counteract some of the effects of a changing climate. The combined budget for all five programs is approximately $46 billion dollars.
I intend to monitor these projects, particularly those that can cool the city. Hopefully I can visit when there is real progress to observe. For now, the plans themselves are impressive.
https://www.johnenglander.net/sea-level-rise-blog/millions-of-trees-to-make-riyadh-a-cool-city/
actually I lived in al baha in south west a very interesting landscape no one would believe me if I told them that ksa have a forest or have a cool weather in the summer but a lot of farms are abandoned they dropped farming replaced it with importing from nearby Yemen but that area have a lot of mountainous agriculture potentials .
You are very right.
About the abandoned farms. Much has improved in recent years. The government has kickstarted a lot of farms that cultivate all kinds of fruits (exotic also), vegetables, coffee, tea. Many more will follow.
looks promising since that region is the birth place of coffee
What is the percentage of tree cover of Tunis? Do you have any idea? It is a coastal city so should be at least 5-10%?