NWC celebrates planting of 5.2 million trees at COP16

Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is located on the Najd Plateau and is the third largest city in the Arab world and the fifth largest metropolis in the Middle East. Riyadh was and still is the scene of many political, economic, and cultural events. This December, Riyadh hosts the COP 16 Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the International Forum on Afforestation Technologies 6-8 December 2024, which will bring together the world's environmental and climate scientists to advance environmental sustainability. The International Exhibition on Afforestation Technologies will also be held in the Green Zone from December 2 to 13, 2024, offering sustainable solutions for a more vibrant and green future under the theme "Our Land, Our Future".

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is currently witnessing qualitative projects in the environmental aspect, after NWC had started implementing its afforestation initiatives to preserve the environmental cover in its six corporate clusters, and this interest of the company in the environment comes to participate in expanding the vegetation cover, contribute to supporting the environment, find solutions to the issue of climate change globally, and support the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI). 

The National Water Company said: "In accordance with our executive plan for reforestation and maximizing the use of triple regenerated water, we have contributed by planting more than 5.2 million different trees from the local environment in all regions of the Kingdom”.

The company explained that the afforestation works carried out by it came in line with its contribution to the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI), as it included several locations in its clusters in all regions of the Kingdom. NWC indicated that it planted about 554,000 trees in the Central Cluster, and more than 1.6 million trees in the Northwest Cluster, and in the Eastern Sector, it explained that it planted more than 195,000 trees, in the Northern Cluster, it planted more than 2 million trees,  in the Southern Cluster, it planted more than 334,000 trees, and in the Western Cluster, it planted more than 36,000 trees. In the Southern Cluster, it planted more than (334) thousand trees, and in the Western Cluster, it planted more than 36,ooo trees. The company stated that afforestation activities will contribute to the protection of the environment by improving air quality, reducing the effects of sandstorms, combating desertification, reducing temperatures, preserving and maintaining wildlife and biodiversity, and restoring the natural environment in the Kingdom. The company noted that its afforestation plan aims at planting various trees, including: Neem, Seder, Qarad, Salam, coastal Khubbaiz Malva, Qarad trees, locust trees, Samar, Acacia, and Calligonum. 

NWC pointed out that it is working to increase the vegetation cover in the Kingdom through the initiative to afforest its sites and fences near sewage treatment plants and drinking water purification plants, and provide renewable water from treatment plants according to approved quality specifications and standards, and provide the best irrigation methods, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) in this field, pointing out that this initiative aims to protect the environment.