In the recent century, the growing of population and the need for natural resources for simultaneous development has expanded the tendency to destroy the environment, so the environmental situation on the one hand significantly reduces natural resources and on the other hand creates conflicts and political-Economic-security crises at the local and regional levels.Improper exploitation of natural resources has also caused environmental challenges, climate change and environmental pollution. This situation in the Middle East has put additional pressure on the establishment of oil and gas reservoirs and a wide range of deserts. (Photo quoted from Yahoo’s image)
Thus, in recent months, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has unveiled the "Green Saudi Arabia" and "Green Middle East" plans.
In fact, in recent years, Saudi Arabia, whose economy has been depended on oil resources for more than half a century, has been planning projects related to part of its economic transformation program in various fields, such as tourism, Industrial, residential, recreational and diversifying its economy and getting out of the oil-dependent economy.
In this regard, the Saudi Development Vision Plan for 2030, dreams of turning Saudi Arabia into a developed and modern country, and a model for other countries in the region and Islam.
Meanwhile, the "Green Saudi Arabia" and "Green Middle East" projects could make Saudi Arabia a regional leader in protecting the environment and climate change.
In this context, although in 2012, Saudi Arabia launched a program of energy efficiency and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, in recent years, there have been criticisms of Saudi Arabia's share of greenhouse gas emissions, its negative role in global initiatives and measures to counteract changes and global warming. In these circumstances, new positions and decisions express a new approach and efforts to gain a share in combating the climate crisis in environmental issues, while maintaining the economy and the environment.
Riyadh is also trying to place itself at the center of regional efforts by focusing on the ‘Green Middle East’ project, organizing the annual meeting of the Middle East Green Initiative, consulting and cooperating with countries in the region to meet environmental challenges, and implementing the world's largest afforestation program.
In this regard, it seems that Riyadh is considering to focus on important goals such as reconstruction, sustainable management, preservation of marine and coastal environments, increasing the ratio of natural resources and protected lands, planting 10 billion trees in Saudi Arabia and planting 50 billion trees throughout the Middle East, reducing emissions by 60% Carbon dioxide in the Middle East, increasing protected areas, reducing carbon emissions, recovering degraded lands, reducing sandstorms, etc.
On the other hand, the two projects of "Green Saudi Arabia" and "Green Middle East" are partly related to the region's commitments to mitigate the effects of climate change, such as the 2015 Paris Agreement. Also, the ‘Green Saudi Arabia’ and the ‘Green Middle East’ projects can be a roadmap for other countries in the region to protect the regional environment, pursue desertification, combat the problems such as greenhouse gases, increase temperatures, reduce rainfall, increase dust and regenerate soils, increase cycle Water, local climate change, etc.
It seems that the two plans of ‘Green Saudi Arabia’ and the ‘green Middle East’ are not very difficult. But Saudi Arabia's dreams of green plans are such that Riyadh must consider the wider implications of arboriculture plans and ensure their sustainable management.
Farzad Ramezani Bonesh
Senior Researcher and Analyst of International Affairs
