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Saudi Greening Forum Draws Broad Int’l Participation

Part of the sponsorship of the National Greening Forum was provided by several Saudi ministers (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Part of the sponsorship of the National Greening Forum was provided by several Saudi ministers (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Greening Forum Draws Broad Int’l Participation

Part of the sponsorship of the National Greening Forum was provided by several Saudi ministers (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Part of the sponsorship of the National Greening Forum was provided by several Saudi ministers (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Riyadh hosted its first National Greening Forum on Monday, organized by Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification.

The event aimed to boost participation from government, private, and non-profit sectors in Saudi Arabia’s ambitious goal of planting 10 billion trees under the Saudi Green Initiative.

It also aimed to facilitate communication among stakeholders, provide updates, and encourage collaboration.

The forum, endorsed by Saudi Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadli, saw broad participation from local, regional, and international stakeholders, experts, and enthusiasts.

Discussions highlighted Saudi Arabia’s $2.5 billion contribution to the Middle East Green Initiative and its significance in combating climate change and fostering regional cooperation.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Cabinet Member, and Envoy for Climate Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir emphasized the importance of afforestation and land rehabilitation for both the environment and regional stability, underscoring Saudi Arabia’s commitment to addressing global challenges like drought-induced conflicts and displacement.

The minister underscored that afforestation forms an integral component of the Kingdom's strategy to address climate change and environmental concerns, crucial for achieving the goals outlined in the Saudi Vision 2030.

He reiterated the Kingdom's interconnectedness with the international community, emphasizing that global events impact Saudi Arabia and vice versa. Clean air and a healthy environment are essential for global well-being.

Also, at the National Greening Forum, the “Discover Nature” program launched alongside agreements among various entities.

This initiative, part of the Saudi Green Initiative, aims to increase green areas and combat desertification. It promotes awareness about afforestation and sustainable green environments.

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Scientists: Giant Kangaroos Perished During 'Climate Upheaval'

This handout photo taken on April 17, 2025, and released on April 23, 2025 by the University of Wollongong shows Scott Hocknull, a vertebrate palaeontologist and senior curator at the Queensland Museum, holding a Protemnodon skull fossil. (Photo by Handout / UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG / AFP)
This handout photo taken on April 17, 2025, and released on April 23, 2025 by the University of Wollongong shows Scott Hocknull, a vertebrate palaeontologist and senior curator at the Queensland Museum, holding a Protemnodon skull fossil. (Photo by Handout / UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG / AFP)
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Scientists: Giant Kangaroos Perished During 'Climate Upheaval'

This handout photo taken on April 17, 2025, and released on April 23, 2025 by the University of Wollongong shows Scott Hocknull, a vertebrate palaeontologist and senior curator at the Queensland Museum, holding a Protemnodon skull fossil. (Photo by Handout / UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG / AFP)
This handout photo taken on April 17, 2025, and released on April 23, 2025 by the University of Wollongong shows Scott Hocknull, a vertebrate palaeontologist and senior curator at the Queensland Museum, holding a Protemnodon skull fossil. (Photo by Handout / UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG / AFP)

Giant prehistoric kangaroos perished when "climate upheaval" turned lush Australian rainforest into desert, scientists said Thursday after studying ancient fossils with new techniques.

Weighing as much as 170 kilograms (375 pounds) -- almost twice as hefty as the chunkiest living kangaroos -- the extinct "Protemnodon" bounded across Australia as many as five million years ago, AFP reported.

Researchers were able to recreate the foraging habits of one population by matching long-lived chemicals from fossilized teeth to recently unearthed rocks.

Similarities in chemical composition helped mark how far the kangaroos hopped in search of food.

"Imagine ancient GPS trackers," said Queensland Museum scientist Scott Hocknull.

"We can use the fossils to track individuals, where they moved, what they ate, who they lived with and how they died -- it's like Palaeo Big Brother."

Scientists found the mega-herbivores lived in what was then a verdant rainforest -- barely venturing far from home to forage.

The rainforest started to wither around 300,000 years ago as the region's climate turned "increasingly dry and unstable".

"The giant kangaroos' desire to stay close to home, during a time of major climate upheaval 300,000 years ago, likely contributed to their demise," the researchers said.

Species of giant kangaroo survived in other parts of Australia and Papua New Guinea, with the last populations surviving until around 40,000 years ago.

Scientist Anthony Dosseto said the new techniques could be used to better understand the disappearance of Australia's megafauna.

Prehistoric species of giant echidna, wombat-like marsupials weighing over two tons, and hulking flesh-eating lizards once roamed the Australian continent.

"The debate about the extinction of the Australian megafauna has been going on for decades, but now we can take it to an individual and species-by-species perspective," said Dosseto, from the Wollongong Isotope Geochronology Lab.

"With these precise techniques, each site and each individual can now be used to test and build more accurate extinction scenarios."

The findings were published in peer-reviewed journal PLOS One.