Riyadh (UNA/SPA) - Minister of Municipalities and Housing, Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, stressed that the Bahja project is a practical model for achieving environmental goals, noting that since 2023 until today, we have witnessed the establishment of 645 new parks, and treated 629 urban interventions with an area of more than 12 million square meters, indicating that irrigation systems have been developed that rely on treated water without depleting fresh water.
He explained that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, thanks to Vision 2030, has witnessed progress and a qualitative transformation in enhancing environmental sustainability, by increasing green spaces, improving air quality, and working to reduce carbon emissions.
This came during his participation in the activities of the fourth edition of the Saudi Green Initiative Forum, which is being held over the course of December 3 and 4 in the capital, Riyadh, under the slogan “We Take Initiative by Nature” and in conjunction with the holding of the sixteenth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16), during the period from December 2 to 13, 2024.
Al-Haqil said: The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing is part of the transformation journey that the Kingdom is witnessing, stressing the constant endeavor to increase the percentage of green spaces, encourage afforestation and ensure the sustainability of resources, within the framework of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which places the citizen and quality of life at the forefront of its concerns, in addition to working in light of the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative, which is one of the largest afforestation initiatives in the world that reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to addressing the various environmental challenges facing the Kingdom.
He stressed that the ministry has adopted effective strategic initiatives and plans to support the Saudi Green Initiative by implementing huge afforestation projects, including planting trees on streets, medians, pedestrian walkways and parks, with the aim of aligning with the strategic axes of Saudi Green, which include working to reduce carbon emissions and reach more than 278 tons annually by 2030, and shifting to renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind to generate electricity, developing carbon capture and storage technologies, and establishing green and blue hydrogen projects to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, in addition to increasing green spaces, parks and green belts around cities and developing valleys within them to become sustainable natural areas.
He said: We work closely with global partners, such as the United Nations Human Settlements Program, through an agreement that aims to update the boundaries and standards of residential settlements and review their classification, in addition to improving services for city residents and raising their efficiency, as well as developing sustainable urban policies. He added that an agreement was signed to support the urban planning program in Saudi cities, which includes a number of joint initiatives, which will positively reflect on the classification of Saudi cities globally according to the requirements of the sustainable development goals.
The Minister of Municipalities and Housing stated that achieving the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative requires integrated efforts from all sectors and individuals, stressing the importance of the dialogue provided by the forum, which is an opportunity to exchange visions and ideas about the most prominent trends in the field of afforestation and sustainability.
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