NCVC And KAUST Collaborate To Establish Experimental Station And Ecological Observatory In Wadi Qudaid National Park

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has partnered with the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) to launch the Experimental Station and Ecological Observatory. This facility is situated in Wadi Qudaid National Park, Khulais Province, within the Makkah Region. The initiative aims to enhance knowledge and foster collaboration among environmental researchers and innovators.

The Experimental Station is a significant achievement from the collaboration between NCVC and KAUST, according to NCVC CEO Dr. Khaled Al-Abdulkader. He highlighted that the station features a comprehensive environment, greenhouse facilities, and research plots. These resources are intended to test various interventions for environmental enhancement and desert afforestation.

The station's efforts align with the Saudi Green Initiative by supporting research on local plant environments through the Saudi native Genome Project. It also aims to promote research innovations, translating them into sustainable afforestation practices. This project represents a key step in advancing nursery management, seed banks, and sapling production for wild and coastal plants.

Professor Rod Wing from KAUST has led the NCVC-KAUST Experiment Station project since 2022. He believes that this station will significantly contribute to the national revegetation project under the Saudi Green Initiative. "NCVC is charged with greening over a third of Saudi Arabia," he stated. "It is our hope that the NCVC-KAUST Experiment Station will directly contribute to this revegetation effort by developing innovative science-based solutions to accelerate the greening of Saudi Arabia sustainably and cost-effectively."

The inauguration of the Qudaid Research Station marks an important milestone in NCVC's mission to innovate in nursery management, seed banks, and sapling production for wild and coastal plants. This initiative also supports broader efforts to restore vegetation cover, conserve plant genetic resources, and rehabilitate national parks.

KAUST Vice President of Research Pierre Magistretti emphasized the importance of this collaboration: "The NCVC-KAUST Experiment Station marks an important collaboration between NCVC and KAUST that will accelerate scientific and translational research to deliver practical and sustainable solutions at the nexus of food, water, and energy."

This partnership between KAUST and NCVC not only aims at ecological restoration but also seeks to train future ecological stewards who will improve life quality in Saudi Arabia. The Experimental Station is expected to play a crucial role in achieving these goals by providing innovative solutions for sustainable development.

With inputs from SPA