Saudi Arabia: NCVC Plans to Rehabilitate 1,000 Floodplains, Meadows with 5 Royal Reserves

The CNVC has signed several agreements with the development authorities of five reserves
The CNVC has signed several agreements with the development authorities of five reserves
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Saudi Arabia: NCVC Plans to Rehabilitate 1,000 Floodplains, Meadows with 5 Royal Reserves

The CNVC has signed several agreements with the development authorities of five reserves
The CNVC has signed several agreements with the development authorities of five reserves

The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development at Combating Desertification (NCVC) has organized a workshop to introduce the implementation plan to rehabilitate the floodplains and Meadows in partnership with five royal reserves.

The CNVC has signed several agreements with the development authorities of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Royal Reserve, Imam Abdulaziz Bin Mohammed Royal Reserve and King Khalid Royal Reserve to rehabilitate more than 1,000 floodplains and Meadows across the Kingdom.

The workshop discussed several main aspects about the goals of the initiative,

and the evaluation criteria for the techniques used in the rehabilitation process, the most important evaluation methods for the outcomes of the rehabilitation implementation’s, prominent areas of cooperation and partnership between the CNVC and the royal reserves, targeted development and community partnership.

The CEO of the National Center, Dr- Khalid Bin Abdullah Al-Abdul-Qadir, explained that the implementation of the first phase involves rehabilitating 100 floodplains and meadows by planting 12 million trees and shrubs and scattering seeds, and the use of rainwater harvesting techniques.

The area targeted for the rehabilitation exceeds 225,000 hectares of degraded lands within a single area with a total size that exceeds 1.9 million hectares of floodplains and meadows, which contributes to enhancing environmental sustainability, improving living quality and to achieve the Kingdom’s vision 2030 and the Saudi green initiative to plant 10 billion trees.

It also comes as a contribution of work on a rehabilitation initiative of floodplains and meadows which was launched by the minister of environment, water and culture last October, to rehabilitate 1000 floodplains and meadows across the Kingdom.



Carnivorous 'Bone Collector' Caterpillar Dresses in Remains of its Prey

This photo provided by Daniel Rubinoff in April 2025 shows a new species of carnivorous caterpillar, left, which uses a protective case made with insect parts, near a spider in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courtesy Daniel Rubinoff via AP)
This photo provided by Daniel Rubinoff in April 2025 shows a new species of carnivorous caterpillar, left, which uses a protective case made with insect parts, near a spider in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courtesy Daniel Rubinoff via AP)
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Carnivorous 'Bone Collector' Caterpillar Dresses in Remains of its Prey

This photo provided by Daniel Rubinoff in April 2025 shows a new species of carnivorous caterpillar, left, which uses a protective case made with insect parts, near a spider in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courtesy Daniel Rubinoff via AP)
This photo provided by Daniel Rubinoff in April 2025 shows a new species of carnivorous caterpillar, left, which uses a protective case made with insect parts, near a spider in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courtesy Daniel Rubinoff via AP)

A new carnivorous caterpillar that wears the remains of its prey has been dubbed the “bone collector.”
The odd insect is only found on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It creeps along spiderwebs, feeding on trapped insects and decorating its silk case with their body parts, The Associated Press reported.
There are other meat-eating caterpillars that “do lots of crazy things, but this takes the cake,” said study author Dan Rubinoff with the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Scientists think the case might act as camouflage, allowing the caterpillar to feast on the spider’s ensnared meals without getting caught.
A host of caterpillars native to Hawaii use silk glands to spin protective cases studded with lichen, sand and other materials. This one is the first to use ant heads and fly wings.
“It really is an astonishing type of case,” said Steven Montgomery, an entomology consultant in Hawaii who was not involved with the new study.
Findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Scientists found just 62 of the carnivorous caterpillars in over 20 years of observing.
Predatory caterpillars are extremely rare and the bone collectors found in Hawaii will even eat each other, researchers said.
The bone collector's origins date back at least 6 million years, making the caterpillars more ancient than the Hawaiian islands themselves. Today, they dwell on an isolated patch of mountain forest alongside invasive species.
“There is really a concern that we need to do better with conservation,” said Rubinoff.