Riyadh (UNA/SPA) - Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Eng. Mansour bin Hilal Al-Mushaiti, stressed that desertification represents a global challenge that affects food security and ecosystems, and that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is working to confront it through comprehensive development strategies based on Vision 2030, which places environmental sustainability and achieving water and food security among its priorities.
This came during today’s speech at the opening of the Saudi Green Building Forum and the Role of Civil Society Organizations in Combating Desertification, on the sidelines of the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP 2), held during the period from (13-XNUMX) December, at the Blue Zone Pavilion in Riyadh Boulevard.
He stressed the importance of the role of civil society organizations in supporting these efforts by enhancing community participation to restore degraded lands, raising awareness of best practices for natural resource management, encouraging volunteer work, and involving the private sector in implementing environmental and development initiatives.
The Deputy Minister praised the pivotal role of the pavilions in the Blue Zone as a platform for regional and international cooperation, expressing the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting joint efforts to combat desertification and achieve sustainable development.
He explained that the Kingdom adopts an integrated approach to managing environmental resources in a sustainable manner through environmentally friendly urban planning and highly efficient smart buildings, which contributes to reducing energy and water consumption, and reducing loss and waste.
The event also coincided with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the Saudi Green Building Forum, with the aim of enhancing cooperation and coordination between different sectors to achieve common environmental goals. The memorandum focuses on supporting volunteer initiatives, spreading sustainable environmental practices, and exchanging expertise to find innovative and smart solutions.
At the end of his speech, Eng. Al-Mishiti thanked all participants and organizers, expressing his aspiration to continue cooperation with all parties to achieve national sustainability goals, in a way that enhances prosperity for current and future generations.
(is over)
