Saudi environmental initiatives raise the bar for action ahead of climate summits

Unveiled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on April 3, the Saudi Green and Middle East Green initiatives are designed to reduce carbon emissions in the region by 60 percent. (Supplied/Green Riyadh Project)
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Updated 19 October 2021
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Saudi environmental initiatives raise the bar for action ahead of climate summits

  • Saudi Green and Middle East Green schemes come as the UN gears up for three major climate conferences this year
  • UNDP regional team leader says the two initiatives are welcome approaches to problem of climate change mitigation

NEW YORK CITY: The recent announcement of the Saudi Green and Middle East Green initiatives came as welcome news to UN officials in a year that has been described by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as “make it or break it” for the planet.

Unveiled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on March 27, the Saudi Green and Middle East Green initiatives are designed to reduce carbon emissions in the region by 60 percent through the use of clean hydrocarbon technologies and the planting of 50 billion trees, including 10 billion in the Kingdom.

Planners say it will help revive millions of hectares of deteriorated land, preserve marine and coastal environments, increase the proportion of natural reserves and protected land, improve the regulation of oil production, accelerate the transition to clean energy, and boost the amount of energy generated by renewables.

The initiatives come as the UN gears up for three major climate summits this year — considered by experts as the last chance for nations to “walk the talk” on their commitments to reducing carbon emissions and transitioning to clean energy.

The 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) is set to convene in Glasgow, Scotland, in November to bring parties together  to accelerate action toward the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Before this, the High-Level Dialogue on Energy is due to take place in September to push forward implementation of the Paris Agreement — the first such global gathering under UN auspices since 1981.

The UN says the meeting presents a historic opportunity to raise ambitions and accelerate action toward the energy-related targets of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).




Planners say the Green Initiative will help revive millions of hectares of deteriorated land, preserve marine and coastal environments, increase the proportion of natural reserves and protected land. (Supplied/Riyadh Green Project)

Finally, there is the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in October.

Its aim will be to reverse the loss of ecosystems and conserve biodiversity in a way that contributes to “the nutrition, food security and livelihoods of people, especially for the most vulnerable.”

“The Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative can mark a new era in Saudi Arabia’s role for advancing green solutions locally, and in partnering globally and regionally to achieve the SDGs, the Paris Agreement on climate change and the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework,” Kishan Khoday, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) coordinator for nature, climate and energy in the Arab world, told Arab News.

“The Saudi Green Initiative sets a strong vision of expanding solar solutions in the Kingdom. The ambitious vision of reaching 50 percent of power from renewables by 2030 is an important step toward rethinking development pathways beyond the conventional carbon economy. It’s an important signal in the evolution of oil-exporting economies toward green goals.”




“The Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative are welcome approaches in particular for mitigating climate change,” Khody said. (Supplied/Riyadh Green Project)

The UNDP is today the UN’s largest implementer of grant assistance for environmental sustainability in the Arab world.

Its grant initiatives — dedicated for countries across the region to combat climate change, expand solar solutions, restore ecosystems and improve land and water security — amount to more than $500 million.

Khoday describes Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula as “global hotspots of climate risk,” where temperatures are rising faster than the global average and faster than other areas of the Middle East.

“The last decade has seen more frequent and severe climatic disasters, floods and storms in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, impacting infrastructure, ecosystems and human security,” he said.

“The locust outbreaks in the Gulf and elsewhere in the broader region are one example of ways that climate change is disrupting communities and ecosystems.”

GREENINITIATIVE

* 50bn - Total trees to be planted across the Middle East.

* 60%+ - Reduction of carbon emissions regionwide.

* 50% -  Energy capacity to come from renewable energy projects by 2030..

* 30%+ - Protected Saudi land, including coastal ecosystems.

Recent studies indicate that rising temperatures and evaporation rates could further diminish water resources.

More extreme flooding events, and increasing heat and humidity, could deal a blow to economic vitality and infrastructure.

Although broadly optimistic, Khoday says reaching the Saudi Green Initiative’s goal of procuring 50 percent of the Kingdom’s power from renewables to generate electricity (up from less than 1 percent at present), as well as the afforestation target in a water-scarce region, will be quite a challenge.

“To achieve this level of transformational change, one priority will be to innovate at the policy level, to de-risk renewable energy investments from the private sector, and to establish institutional capacities to advance sustainable energy pathways,” he said.

“The envisaged afforestation drive in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region will also face many challenges, not least growing levels of water insecurity owing to climate change.”




Kishan Khoday, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) coordinator for nature, climate and energy in the Arab world. (Supplied)

Khoday added: “Rather than rely on high-carbon water-desalination processes, an opportunity exists to use nature-based solutions and select plant species that are best adapted to the dryland ecosystems of the region both today and into the future.

“An enhanced set of policies is needed to scale up private investments and partnerships on renewable energy, develop the capacity of national centers of excellence to catalyze new technology solutions, and build the local market ecosystem for renewable energy supply chains.

“Efforts should also build on past successes. For example, through the National Energy Efficiency Program, Saudi Arabia and the UNDP partnered over the past decade to scale up actions on energy efficiency, bringing together national agencies and leading companies to reduce energy intensity in key sectors.”

With regard to the Middle East Green Initiative, Khoday says its attempt to address the serious regional issue of land degradation and desertification is very important.

“Many communities in the region are dependent on local ecosystems for livelihoods, so afforestation and ecosystem restoration will be critical to achieving goals of climate resilience and sustainable use of biodiversity,” he said.




With regard to the Middle East Green Initiative, Khoday says its attempt to address the serious regional issue of land degradation and desertification is very important. (Supplied/Riyadh Green Project)

Although the MENA region has seen several successes in climate-change adaptation, low-carbon solar technology and nature-based solutions, it is still the world’s most water-scarce and food import-dependent region with the fastest rising temperatures.

Desertification continues to be one of the major environmental problems in the region, exacerbated by one of the world’s fastest-growing populations.

Changes in lifestyles and increasing food demand have led to overgrazing and overcultivation of land, overexploitation of water resources and widespread deforestation, which have collectively degraded soil quality.

“Climate change is now exacerbating resource insecurity, leading to greater social vulnerability, displacement and fragility across the Arab region,” Khoday said.

He added that climate action, such as the two Saudi initiatives, is critical to preventing further escalation of crises in the Arab region and achieving goals of peace and security.




A general view shows the solar plant in Uyayna, north of Riyadh, on March 29, 2018. (AFP/File Photo)

As climate change is proceeding at a relentless pace, its effects extend beyond the environment into the social and political realms. While it is rarely the primary cause of conflict, climate change can aggravate existing vulnerabilities.

Climate action is also key for “building back better from conflicts and the pandemic, through making recovery investments resilient to future climate risks, exploring debt-for-climate swaps and other mechanisms,” Khoday said.

As he pointed out, eco-friendly solutions have been rapidly climbing the policy agenda among Arab governments in recent years.

“In the decade 2008-18 following the last global economic crisis, for example, the region saw a 10-fold increase in renewable energy capacities,” Khoday said.

“Solar solutions became an important part of building back better from the last crisis, and they should again be prioritized as part of a green recovery from the pandemic and economic crisis facing the region today.

“The Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative are welcome approaches in particular for mitigating climate change.”

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Twitter: @EphremKossaify


KSrelief providing ongoing medical care in Yemen

Updated 09 May 2024
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KSrelief providing ongoing medical care in Yemen

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s aid agency KSrelief is providing ongoing cardiac surgery and catheterization for children and adults at Prince Mohammed bin Salman Hospital in Yemen’s Aden governorate.

The project runs until May 15, with 23 medical specialists participating in cooperation with the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

The medical team has already performed 35 cardiac catheterizations and eight open-heart surgeries, all of which were successful.

Meanwhile, KSrelief has completed another medical project which included 226 procedures for people with burns, deformities, and sports injuries.

This initiative took place from April 27 to May 5, 2024, in Yemen’s Aden governorate.

In addition, there were 1,026 individuals treated at the dermatology clinic, 2,317 at the family medicine clinic, and 587 at the dentistry clinic.

Training was also provided for 78 staffers in sports rehabilitation.


KSrelief to restore homes damaged in Aleppo earthquake

Updated 09 May 2024
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KSrelief to restore homes damaged in Aleppo earthquake

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief signed a pact on Wednesday to restore the homes of families affected by the earthquake in Aleppo, Syria.

In collaboration with a civil society institution in Syria, this project aims to restore 743 homes to benefit over 4,500 people, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Renovations will include the provision of new water tanks and ventilation systems.

KSrelief’s Assistant Supervisor-General for Operations and Programs Ahmed bin Ali Al-Baiz signed the pact at the center’s headquarters in Riyadh.


Saudi Armed Forces participate in military exercise in Turkiye

Updated 09 May 2024
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Saudi Armed Forces participate in military exercise in Turkiye

  • The field exercise phase of EFES 2024, which begins on Friday and continues until May 30, follows a command center phase that began on April 25 and ended on Wednesday

RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Armed Forces are taking part in a multinational military exercise in the Turkish city of Izmir, the Kingdom’s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

Upon arrival in Turkiye ahead of the field-exercise phase of EFES 2024, the Saudi units were greeted by the military attache at the Saudi embassy in Ankara, Commodore Adel Al-Kalthami, the director of the exercise from the Kingdom, Brig. Gen. Nasser Al-Suhaimi, and officers from branches of the Armed Forces.

The exercise involves two main phases, the first of which was a command-center exercise at the Multinational War Center in Istanbul and the Joint Command Training Center in Izmir, which began on April 25 and concluded on Wednesday. The second phase, involving live-firing field exercises at Izmir’s Doganbey Firing and Exercise Area, begins on Friday and continues until May 30.

The head of the Saudi Armed Forces Education and Training Authority, Maj. Gen. Adel Al-Balawi, said participation of the nation’s forces in the exercise reflects the care and support of the Saudi leadership for the development of their capabilities and the enhancement their organizational, training and armaments skills.

The exercise provides an opportunity for forces from participating nations to exchange skills, train together in the planning and coordination of joint operations in various environments, raise their combat efficiency, and enhance military cooperation, he added.

During the exercise the Saudi units and their counterparts from other countries will carry out many field maneuvers on land and sea, including sea-landing operations, search and rescue missions, and responses to threats posed by drones, using light arms loaded with live ammunition and other weaponry, Al-Balawi said.


Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to Brazilian president over flood victims

Updated 09 May 2024
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Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to Brazilian president over flood victims

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman sent a message of condolences and sympathy to Brazilain President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, following the floods that swept the state of Rio Grande do Sul that killed and injured several people and left a number missing, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
“We learned of the news of the floods that swept through the state of Rio Grande do Sul, south of the Federal Republic of Brazil, and the resulting deaths, injuries, and missing persons,” the king said.
He added: “We share Your Excellency’s pain of this tragedy, and we send to you, to the families of the deceased, and to your friendly people, our warmest condolences and sincere sympathy, wishing that the missing will return safely and the injured a speedy recovery.”
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also sent a similar cable to the Brazilian president.
Heavy rains and flooding in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul since last week also have left 128 people missing, authorities said. More than 230,000 have been displaced, and much of the region has been isolated by the floodwaters.
(With AP)


Saudi crown prince, Ukrainian president discuss Russia-Ukraine conflict during call

Updated 09 May 2024
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Saudi crown prince, Ukrainian president discuss Russia-Ukraine conflict during call

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday received a phone call from Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
During the call, they reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries and discussed several issues of common interest. 
They also discussed developments in the Ukrainian-Russian war and efforts to resolve the conflict.