By SIB
September 29, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The 27th session of the Near East Forestry and Range Commission commenced today in Jeddah. This event is hosted by the Kingdom in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC).
According to SPA from Jeddah During the opening speech, a representative from NCVC highlighted that the forest area in the region exceeds 42 million hectares, while natural pastures cover more than 303 million hectares. Millions of people rely on these resources for their livelihoods, and they are also crucial for protecting biodiversity. However, he noted that these vital resources face significant challenges due to climate change, desertification, and land degradation.
“Globally, the percentage of degraded land reaches 40%, impacting approximately 3.2 billion people. This degradation is anticipated to lead to a 30% increase in food prices and affect 75% of freshwater sources. Moreover, it poses a threat to more than 50% of biodiversity due to habitat loss and contributes to a 24% increase in carbon emissions resulting from the removal of vegetation cover,” the representative said.
The representative also emphasized that the Kingdom has launched ambitious initiatives, including the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative. These initiatives aim to plant 10 billion trees within the Kingdom, rehabilitating approximately 40 million hectares of land, and an additional 50 billion trees across the region. Over 151 million trees have already been planted to date through the National Afforestation Program in collaboration with various sectors. Furthermore, more than 505,000 hectares of degraded land have been rehabilitated.
The three-day session will focus on several key topics, including advanced methods and integrated solutions to fully leverage forests and rangelands to combat the impacts of climate change. It will also address enhancing related food systems and supporting comprehensive, sustainable rural development.
— SPA
