Riyadh: The National Greening Program has underscored the importance of ecosystem monitoring and field verification in rehabilitating degraded land, as part of efforts to achieve the goals of the Saudi Green initiative, which seeks to rehabilitate 40 million hectares of degraded land-equivalent to planting 10 billion trees across the Kingdom-and to restore natural green spaces in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the emphasis was made during a national workshop on field verification in land rehabilitation, organized by the program in cooperation with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The workshop brought together specialists and key stakeholders to address challenges and explore strategic opportunities for land rehabilitation across the Kingdom.
Acting CEO of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification Ahmed Al-Ayada highlighted that assessing and rehabilitating degraded lands represents a strategic investment in the Kingdom's future. He noted that these efforts enhance environmental security, support the green economy, and improve quality of life through the integration of scientific assessment, on-the-ground implementation, and institutional support. Such an approach, he added, strengthens the Kingdom's global leadership in ecosystem restoration and ensures the efficiency of rehabilitation interventions while maximizing environmental and economic returns on investment.
The FAO reaffirmed its continued cooperation with the National Greening Program to cover all program sites, ensuring international recognition of the Kingdom's greening efforts.