Saudi Arabia Lauds G20 Achievements on Environmental Sustainable Solutions

Saudi Arabia Lauds G20 Achievements on Environmental Sustainable Solutions
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Saudi Arabia Lauds G20 Achievements on Environmental Sustainable Solutions

Saudi Arabia Lauds G20 Achievements on Environmental Sustainable Solutions

Saudi Arabia expressed its appreciation for the accomplishments of the G20 in finding sustainable solutions to environmental challenges and strengthening efforts to tackle land degradation, a significant threat to biodiversity, food security, and climate change adaptation.

Saudi Deputy Minister of Environment Dr. Osama Ibrahim Faqeeha made the acknowledgement at the G20 environment and climate ministers' meeting held in New Delhi, India.

During his address, Dr. Faqeeha discussed various crucial topics related to environmental sustainability and climate change, such as the blue economy, resource efficiency, circular economy, land and water management, and biodiversity.

He highlighted the measures taken by the Kingdom to preserve marine and water ecosystems, including the Saudi Green Initiative, and emphasized the Saudi objective of achieving 30% marine reserves by 2030 and the implementation of a national strategy for the sustainability of the Red Sea, focusing on 15 sectors of the blue economy.

Dr. Faqeeha also underscored the Kingdom's collaborations with regional countries and the International Maritime Organization to establish the Red Sea as a special marine zone, which will take effect in January 2025, according to SPA.

He further commended the G20's support for the global platform CORDAP (Collaborative Action on Coral Reefs and People), which was launched during the Kingdom's G20 presidency.

He emphasized that the Kingdom has implemented a circular strategy for the carbon economy and introduced a new waste management law to increase recycling rates. Additionally, the Kingdom has adopted various strategies to safeguard natural resources, including the National Environment Strategy, Saudi Green Initiative, National Water Strategy, and the Food Security Strategy, which aims to reduce food waste by 50%.

The Saudi official expressed the Kingdom's gratitude for the G20's endeavors to enhance integrated water management, aligning with the water group platform established during the Kingdom's G20 presidency in 2020. He highlighted the Kingdom's significant investments in promoting renewable water sources within Saudi Arabia, such as expanding the desalination sector and maximizing the utilization of rainwater and treated water.



Weekend of Broiling Heat Expected in US West, Southeast

A man floats on the San Francisco Bay off the coast of Alameda Beach to cool off during a heat wave as temperatures reach over 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.7 degrees Celsius) in Alameda, California, US, July 3, 2024. REUTERS/Emily Steinberger/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
A man floats on the San Francisco Bay off the coast of Alameda Beach to cool off during a heat wave as temperatures reach over 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.7 degrees Celsius) in Alameda, California, US, July 3, 2024. REUTERS/Emily Steinberger/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Weekend of Broiling Heat Expected in US West, Southeast

A man floats on the San Francisco Bay off the coast of Alameda Beach to cool off during a heat wave as temperatures reach over 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.7 degrees Celsius) in Alameda, California, US, July 3, 2024. REUTERS/Emily Steinberger/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
A man floats on the San Francisco Bay off the coast of Alameda Beach to cool off during a heat wave as temperatures reach over 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.7 degrees Celsius) in Alameda, California, US, July 3, 2024. REUTERS/Emily Steinberger/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Dangerously hot conditions will dominate over the rest of the long Independence Day weekend in much of the US West Coast, Southeast and Middle Atlantic seaboard, forecasters said on Friday, as California firefighters battled one of the first big wildfires of the season.

Around 108 million Americans will spend the remainder of the weekend under excessive heat advisories, with record-breaking temperatures forecast for many spots in California, southern Oregon and the Southwest, the National Weather Service said.

The West Coast will hover 15 to 30 degrees above average, reaching 110 Fahrenheit (43 Celsius) on Friday.

"Expect only subtle changes to our daily high temperatures through the weekend," the National Weather Service in Flagstaff, Arizona, said on X.

"Where did you go, monsoon? Hurry back," it said, referring to a recent bout of torrential rain in the area, which is usually bone-dry this time of year.

Some of the hottest spots will include Phoenix where it will be 115 F (46 C), Washington D.C. where it is expected to climb to 100 F (38 C), and Palm Springs, California, where it will reach 119 F (48 C). That is almost three times as hot as it will be in Yellowstone National Park in Montana, where the forecast was for temperatures to dip to 37 F on Friday night.

The weather service urged people to stay hydrated, out of the sunlight, and in buildings with sufficient air-conditioning.

Stifling heat will also prevail from Mississippi to Florida, and north along the Eastern Seaboard to Pennsylvania, where temperatures will reach past 100 F (37 C).

The National Weather Service warned that hot overnight conditions across the Mississippi Valley could lead to "a dangerous situation for those without access to adequate cooling".

Hot, dry and windy conditions in the West were forcing fire officials and forecasters to issue warnings about the risk of wildfires.

According to Reuters, the so-called Thompson Fire in Butte County, California, about 65 miles (105 km) north of Sacramento, has scorched almost 6 square miles (16 square kilometers) of scrub and brush since it started on Tuesday.

As of Friday morning, the fire was 46% contained after forcing some 13,000 households to evacuate.

Most evacuation orders were lifted early on Friday morning as firefighters made progress controlling the blaze, which had damaged or destroyed about 30 structures, fire officials said.

Southern Texas faces a different sort of threat early next week when remnants of Hurricane Beryl are expected to dump heavy rains on the region.

Beryl, the first hurricane of the season, made landfall in Mexico on Friday after killing 11 people as it carved a path of destruction across the Caribbean earlier this week.