NWC, KARRDA Discuss Planting 3 Million Saplings in 28,000 Km2 by 2030

King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority (KARRDA) and National Water Company (NWC) are discussing the plantation of approximately three million wild saplings within the reserve's boundaries. The reserve covers an area of more than 28,000 square kilometers and includes several green parks, the most important of which are Al-Khafs, Al-Tanhat, and Noura.

 NWC and KARRDA signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote environmental conservation and sustainability and to promote rural development using modern scientific techniques and applications.

 This MoU discussion aims to raise awareness of the importance of preserving the environment and its natural components and promoting community partnerships between institutions.

 The MoU was signed today by NWC CEO Dr. Fouad bin Ahmed Al Sheikh Mubarak and KARRDA CEO Engineer Maher bin Abdullah Al Qathmi, on the sidelines of the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) Forum, held alongside the sixteenth Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

 The parties said that the MoU includes conducting studies to use sewage sludge as a fertilizer for soil reclamation according to the specifications of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, identifying suitable areas for planting and its method, and the type of saplings targeted according to each region, conducting a study of irrigation needs for the areas targeted for planting, determining the amount of water needed, securing a nursery and preparing afforestation sites by fencing and digging, transporting treated water from treatment plants to the reserve, installing, operating and maintaining networks, pumps and tanks to provide water for the planting of trees in the areas targeted for planting.

 The MoU between the National Water Company and the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority comes in support of national efforts to address climate and environmental challenges, in line with the directives of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to standardize national and international efforts to address global environmental challenges, expand the area of environmental vegetation, find solutions to global climate change, and support the Saudi Green Initiative.