RIYADH: More than 31 million trees have been planted in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province as part of a nationwide afforestation project, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
The trees were planted by the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, working with 51 other entities, under a program launched in November.
The authorities aim to plant 1.5 billion trees in the province by 2100, rehabilitating more than 7.9 million hectares of land.
The scheme is part of the nationwide Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to plant 10 billion trees — 600 million by 2030 — and rehabilitate more than 40 million hectares of land.
As well as planting trees, the center has been engaged in a program of environmental monitoring, combating illegal logging and raising public awareness across the Eastern Province.
It also works to prevent sand encroachment in farming areas that are at risk of soil degradation and uses native plant species to populate its afforestation areas in order to maintain the ecological balance of local habitats.
The center also organizes the National Afforestation Season in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
