FAO Reaffirms Commitment To Land Restoration On World Day To Combat Desertification And Drought

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has reiterated its strong dedication to aiding Saudi Arabia in its transformative efforts to rehabilitate degraded lands, combat sand encroachment, and enhance climate resilience. This commitment aligns with the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, observed annually on 17 June under the theme "Restore the Land, Unlock the Opportunities." The day encourages global collaboration to restore ecosystems and strengthen resilience against environmental challenges.

Saudi Arabia's leadership in combating land degradation and enhancing climate resilience has been globally recognized. The Kingdom's initiatives align with Vision 2030, focusing on sustainable development through innovative policies. These efforts have resulted in significant achievements in sustainable land management, climate adaptation, and food security. The FAO praised Saudi Arabia for its ambitious initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions and mitigating drought impacts.

As part of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia launched the Saudi Green Initiative, aiming to plant 10 billion trees and rehabilitate 40 million hectares of degraded land. By 2023, over 41 million trees have been planted across the Kingdom. Additionally, the Middle East Green Initiative aims to plant 40 billion more trees regionally. These efforts represent one of the world's most ambitious afforestation campaigns.

The FAO has been a strategic partner of Saudi Arabia since the early 1950s, initially supporting irrigation projects in Wadi Jazan. Over time, this cooperation expanded to include rural livelihoods support, forest management, rangeland rehabilitation, and institutional capacity building. The partnership underscores more than six decades of collaboration focused on sustainable development.

The FAO collaborates closely with Saudi Arabia through the Sustainable Rural Agricultural Development Program. This partnership involves the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA). Together they implement effective sustainable land management frameworks and expand natural resource restoration projects.

In December 2024, Riyadh hosted COP16 of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification with participation from 200 countries. During this event, the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership was launched. It successfully mobilized over SAR12 billion ($3.2 billion) for drought-prone countries through public-private investments targeting more than 80 vulnerable nations.

Innovative Approaches to Land Restoration

The FAO reported four innovative field trials for sand stabilization in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Region. These trials combine advanced mechanical designs with modern monitoring tools to stabilize sand dunes effectively. Promising results have been observed in increasing vegetation cover and restoring ecological balance in fragile environments.

A joint initiative between FAO and the Saudi Irrigation Organization (SIO) focuses on a land restoration project along Al Asfar Lake's northern boundary covering approximately 47.3 hectares. This project employs techniques such as tracking dune movement and monitoring vegetation growth to evaluate sand encroachment control efforts.

Empowering Local Communities

Efforts by NCVC include early-warning systems for desertification control alongside reforestation programs targeting priority areas like Al Jouf, Tabuk, and Eastern Region communities are empowered through public awareness campaigns promoting land protection measures such as native plant nurseries formation or dry palm frond mechanical barriers use against sand encroachment.

The FAO emphasized its role as a trusted technical partner working closely with MEWA NCVC SIO promoting scientific solutions combating desertification using mechanical barriers innovative strategies restoring ecosystems enhancing resilience arid environments affirming Kingdom’s inspiring experience model transformative environmental change valuable lessons international community innovation collaboration commitment scientific solutions rehabilitating land reviving ecosystems unlocking sustainable future joint efforts protect restore current future generations

With inputs from SPA