RIYADH — Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture and Chairman of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli Sunday patronized the launching of the first workshop of the project of the Saudi Green Initiative and the Executive Plan for Afforestation to plant 10 billion trees or what equals the rehabilitation of 40 million hectares over the few coming decades.

CEO of the National Center for Vegetation Cover and Combating Desertification Dr. Khaled Al-Abulqader noted that the first workshop, which was held in cooperation with the system of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, aimed at gathering information, exchanging expertise, coordinating efforts and activating partnerships among various institutions concerned with the project.

He pointed out that following workshops will be allocated to a set of sectors, such as Royal reserves, public institutions, mega projects, the private and non-profit sectors, and those interested in environment and afforestation, in addition to the financial and academic and research sectors, and will form a qualitative leap in the course of developing vegetation around Saudi Arabia to realize targets of the Saudi Green Initiative.

He explained that the project seeks to increase the green areas through three main and important indicators: local or proper trees that are planted in various environments, sustaining already planted trees, trees and plants that grow naturally after providing protection and care elements.

For his part, Inspector General for Forests and Secretary of the Pakistani Ministry of Climate Change Joudat Ayaz delivered a speech that included a presentation on mechanisms and ways to implement the Pakistani experiment and top challenges face its execution through the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Program that is being implemented by the Pakistani government, with reviewing top achieved expertise and success. — SPA