The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) of Saudi Arabia was established in 2014 by the Council of Ministers to manage and invest in the country’s vegetation cover and combat desertification.
The Saudi Gazette recently reported that the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification has planted 13 million mangrove seedlings across Saudi Arabia including 5.5 million seedlings in Jazan, 2.4 million in Makkah, 2 million in Madinah, 1.5 million in Tabuk, one million in Asir, and 500,000 in the Eastern Region. In addition to these 13 million seedlings, last year 200,000 were planted on Ras Abu Ali Island in the Jubail Governorate and 500,000 in Al-Wajh Governorate.
The NCVC efforts include:
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Overseeing the management and investment of forests, grazing lands, and national parks
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Preserving plant genetic resources and vegetative cover outside of protected areas
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Inventorying and classifying vegetation cover lands and desertified lands
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Developing and protecting vegetation cover lands, and supervising their improvements
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Supervising the rehabilitation of degraded vegetation lands and desertified sites
Saudi Arabia’s larger goals include planting 400 million trees by 2030 and restoring 200 million hectares of degraded land. The country has also increased the number of national parks and extended safeguards for 18% of its land
Launched in March 2021, the Saudi Green Initiative aims to turn 30 percent of Saudi Arabia’s land into nature reserves, plant 10 billion trees and restore 40 million hectares of degraded land.
On June 5, 2024 Saudi Arabia hosted World Environment Day 2024, an annual celebration of the planet which this year focuses on desertification, land degradation and drought resilience.
This December 2024, Saudi Arabia will also host the 16th Conference of Parties for the UN Convention to Combat Desertification which has a goal to restore 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land, globally, by 2030.
UN Resident Coordinator Mohamed El Zarkani recently said:
“I applaud Saudi Arabia’s regional and global leadership on land restoration and drought resilience. We witnessed this leadership in initiatives such as the Saudi Green Initiative, Middle East Green Initiative, and G20 Global Land Initiative – all Saudi driven efforts built on international cooperation and partnership and culminating towards key global commitments to protect and restore lands. Hosting COP16 in Riyadh this year will be another key milestone in Saudi Arabia’s inspiring journey to combat desertification. Collaboration between the Saudi government, local communities, and UN Agencies, Funds, and Programmes, is a central feature to drive the land agenda forward while exemplifying the power of partnerships.”
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