Riyadh (UNA/SPA) – The Vegetation Cover Development Foundation “Marouj” announced yesterday the launch of three new environmental initiatives within “Green Saudi Arabia”, coinciding with the Kingdom hosting the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification “COP 2” in Riyadh from December 13 to 2024, XNUMX. This brings the total number of the Foundation’s initiatives to nine, three of which have been successfully completed, three are under implementation, and three have been approved and were announced yesterday with the launch of the fourth edition of the “Green Saudi Arabia Initiative Forum” under the slogan “We Take the Initiative by Nature”, reflecting its ongoing commitment to enhancing environmental sustainability and expanding the scope of its positive impact.
Engineer Wael Bousha, CEO of Marouj, stressed that these initiatives come at a pivotal time to enhance national efforts towards environmental sustainability, noting that they combine innovation and the spirit of partnership to achieve the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative, as each initiative represents a tangible step towards a greener and more sustainable future.
He pointed out that the first initiative, “Green Mosques,” which represents a pioneering model in investing in natural resources and enhancing vegetation cover, aims to plant (10,500) trees around (70) mosques in the Kingdom, by using treated gray water resulting from the ablution of worshipers, indicating that this initiative seeks to integrate innovative environmental solutions into our daily lives, by transforming the surroundings of mosques into vibrant green spaces, which enhances environmental sustainability and deepens community awareness of the importance of preserving resources.
He explained that the second initiative, “Mangrove Planting,” comes within the framework of efforts to improve air quality and protect coasts, and aims to plant 400 mangrove trees in the Makkah and Eastern regions, noting that mangrove trees are a very important natural line of defense, thanks to their superior ability to absorb pollutants and reduce air pollution, in addition to their vital role in enhancing coastal sustainability and reducing beach erosion, adding that the Foundation seeks through this initiative not only to protect our environment, but also to support the quality of life for coastal communities, and to consolidate the Kingdom’s position as a global leader in ambitious environmental initiatives.
He stated that the third initiative, “Social Responsibility and Seed Scattering,” comes within the framework of an ambitious community commitment aimed at enhancing the vegetation cover in the royal reserves and forests, and aims to scatter 300 million seeds in 5 leading reserves: King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve, King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, King Khalid Royal Reserve, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve. In addition, 6000 volunteers will be involved in seed scattering operations and implementing beach cleaning initiatives, and activating 10 partnerships with the public and private sectors, which will contribute to strengthening community partnership and expanding the scope of sustainable environmental work in the Kingdom.
Engineer Bousha explained that these initiatives are part of an ambitious national vision that places the Kingdom on the map of global leadership in the field of environmental sustainability, calling on everyone to participate in building a better environmental future, strengthening partnerships with the public and private sectors, and supporting the efforts of volunteers to transform this vision into a tangible reality that enhances environmental awareness in the Kingdom in accordance with the goals of Vision 2030.
It is worth noting that the Foundation is a member of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the Global Land Initiative of the G20, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and has an active role in supporting the environmental system by involving the private and non-profit sectors in environmental initiatives.
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