المملكة: 2.7 million hectares.. FAO praises Saudi Arabia’s forests in the face of climate change
The organization explained that most forests are concentrated in the southwestern regions of the Kingdom, at altitudes ranging between 1,000 and 3,000 meters above sea level, and are distinguished by their environmental diversity, which includes different types of forests. Junipers, wild olives, and deciduous forests. Forests are also spread in rawdas and valleys in various areas and in coastal ecosystems. FAO stressed the vital role that these forests play in the sustainability of ecosystems, starting from protecting the soil and recharging groundwater, through controlling floodwaters, and ending with preserving biodiversity and mitigating the effects of climate change. This growing interest in forest agriculture comes at a time when the “Green Saudi Arabia” initiative, launched in 2021, identified forests and tree systems as one of the main areas of intervention, with the aim of achieving a significant contribution to improving the condition of forests and enhancing environmental sustainability. In this context, the “Sustainable Rural Agriculture” project was prepared in partnership between the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the FAO, and its natural resources management component is implemented in cooperation with the National Center for Vegetation Development and Control. Desertification. FAO acknowledged that forests in the Kingdom face a wide range of threats, ranging from degradation resulting from human activities and natural factors such as desertification and climate change. To address this, the project aims to adapt and promote innovative practices to restore forest resources, and develop sustainable, community-based methods for their management. The project is also working on drawing detailed maps of forest resources, evaluating and monitoring them to support evidence-based planning, preparing technical guidelines and action plans, in addition to developing an interactive online platform to exchange knowledge and raise public awareness. FAO confirmed that these efforts, which include studies and surveys Field work to collect accurate data represents a turning point in Saudi forest management. It also puts the Kingdom on the path to achieving a balance between environmental and economic development, and making forest cover one of the pillars of the sustainability of natural resources in the region.
Revealed ”Forests in Saudi Arabia Rural agriculture Sustainable
Developing an interactive platform
