Saudi Arabia Teams Up With UN To Boost Land Degradation Monitoring

The "Monitoring Land Productivity Dynamics and Trends in Soil Organic Carbon Stocks in Hyper-arid Environments" workshop began today. Organised by the National Center for Vegetation Cover and Combating Desertification (NCVC), it collaborates with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Saudi Arabia. The three-day event includes participation from various local and international experts.

Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture for the Environment Dr. Osama Faqeeha stressed that Saudi Arabia prioritises environmental protection under Vision 2030. This vision includes restructuring institutional frameworks, establishing specialised environmental centres, and launching initiatives like the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative. Dr. Faqeeha also highlighted Saudi Arabia's hosting of the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to raise global awareness about land importance and combat desertification effects.

Dr. Faqeeha noted that COP 16 aims to enhance partnerships between countries, organisations, and sectors to make significant decisions. These efforts are intended to curb land degradation and its environmental and economic impacts. He emphasised that these initiatives are crucial for achieving ambitious outcomes that support international efforts against land degradation.

NCVC CEO Dr. Khaled Al-Abdulkader discussed challenges in preparing national reports on land degradation using the UNCCD framework and global indicators for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He pointed out that vegetation cover levels in hyper-arid environments are often much lower than the global average, leading to inaccurate estimates.

Dr. Al-Abdulkader explained that extreme climatic conditions and high drought indices in hyper-arid environments make globally recognised land-degradation indicators less effective. He emphasised the need to improve existing methodologies to better assess land-degradation indicators in these challenging environments.

Workshop Objectives

The workshop addressed global approaches to monitoring land degradation, focusing on key indicators in hyper-arid environments. Discussions covered mechanisms for achieving SDG targets, main challenges in these areas, and exploring alternative methodologies. The aim was to develop pathways for solutions tailored to hyper-arid regions by establishing a project using appropriate methodologies.

The NCVC is committed to developing, protecting, and monitoring vegetation cover sites while rehabilitating degraded areas. This includes managing rangelands, forests, and national parks. Additionally, the centre focuses on detecting encroachments on vegetation cover and combating illegal logging across Saudi Arabia to preserve natural resources and biodiversity.

Dr. Al-Abdulkader mentioned that workshop outcomes are expected to guide experts in identifying suitable methodologies for enhancing monitoring techniques for assessing land-degradation indicators. This guidance is crucial due to the unique challenges posed by hyper-arid environments.

The workshop's discussions also covered mechanisms for achieving SDG targets specific to hyper-arid environments. Participants explored alternative methodologies tailored to these regions' unique conditions.

The NCVC's efforts include managing rangelands, forests, national parks, detecting encroachments on vegetation cover, and combating illegal logging across Saudi Arabia. These activities aim to preserve natural resources and biodiversity within the Kingdom.

With inputs from SPA