RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is targeting to plant 100 million mangrove trees along its coastlines in upcoming years, according to National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC).
The center has already planted 6 million mangrove seedlings along the coastlines of the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, with Jazan getting the lion’s share of more than 3.3 million seedlings.
The planting of the mangroves comes within the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
Mangrove trees are of significant importance and constitute a vital marine lifeline that has multiple environmental, economic, and tourist benefits.
Mangrove forests are of the highest efficiency compared to other types of forests when it comes to sequestering carbon.
Moreover, they are natural habitats for migratory birds and help achieve food security by maximizing fish wealth. They also contribute to ridding beaches of pollutants and reducing temperatures and humidity locally.
The NCVC aims to protect, develop, and sustain vegetation cover sites and remove challenges facing them around the Kingdom. It also works to detect encroachments and combat overgrazing.
The Center works to preserve natural resources and biodiversity and support efforts to combat climate change at the local, regional, and international levels, in implementation of the Saudi Green Initiative’s objectives.
