RIYADH: The National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification has initiated a project to develop strategies for forest fire management and prevention in the southern and southwestern regions of the Kingdom.

The project focuses on Asir, Makkah, Madinah, Baha, Najran, Jazan and Taif.

In cooperation with King Khalid University, the project aims to determine firefighting efforts — from extinguishing fires to rehabilitating affected sites.

The agreement includes cooperation in various areas, including sharing information and data on the state of forests in the Kingdom to establish monitoring, follow-up, analysis and inventory measures.

It also includes evaluating the causes of fires in the most frequently affected regions to protect the forest system and identify management methods. 

The center hosted the inaugural workshop for the project, focusing on collaborative cooperation, along with a presentation on the current status of forests.

The center is dedicated to the development, control, protection and rehabilitation of vegetation sites, as well as the detection and prevention of encroachments and illegal logging.

It also oversees and invests in pastures, forests and national parks, promoting sustainable environmental development and contributing to the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative.

Recently, the center also signed a tripartite agreement with the Tourism Development Fund and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. It aims to invest in and develop 12 national parks across the Kingdom, with the goal of enhancing Saudi Arabia’s position as a leading local and global tourist destination.