King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Marks International Day for Biodiversity

The Saudi Green Initiative is a driving force behind achieving global climate goals and reaching carbon neutrality by 2060 - SPA
The Saudi Green Initiative is a driving force behind achieving global climate goals and reaching carbon neutrality by 2060 - SPA
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King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Marks International Day for Biodiversity

The Saudi Green Initiative is a driving force behind achieving global climate goals and reaching carbon neutrality by 2060 - SPA
The Saudi Green Initiative is a driving force behind achieving global climate goals and reaching carbon neutrality by 2060 - SPA

The King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority observed the International Day for Biodiversity on Wednesday. Under this year's theme, "Be Part of the Plan," the United Nations emphasizes the critical role biodiversity plays in achieving sustainable development, a core principle of Saudi Vision 2030, SPA reported.
The Saudi Green Initiative is a driving force behind achieving global climate goals and reaching carbon neutrality by 2060. Demonstrating this commitment, significant progress has already been made: over 192,000 hectares of land have been revitalized, more than three million wild seedlings have been cultivated, 49 million trees have been planted across the country, and 18.1% of wild areas have been transformed into protected nature reserves. These efforts promote wildlife conservation, with over 1,660 endangered animals being reintroduced to their natural habitats.
Aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 and the comprehensive strategy for royal reserves, the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority plays a vital role. Through collaboration with public, private, and non-profit sectors, it pursues a multifaceted mission that includes restoring environmental balance by removing over 45 million kilograms of waste and reintroducing 330 threatened species, such as the Arabian oryx and the houbara bustard.

The authority also prioritizes preserving the region's rich heritage and natural resources.
As a government member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the authority plays a key role in boosting the Kingdom's biodiversity efforts.



South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary Plan Blocked at Int’l Meeting

A juvenile pygmy blue whale swims, following a rescue operation by members of the Department of Conservation New Zealand in Kawau Island, New Zealand, September 16, 2024. Department Of Conservation New Zealand/Handout via REUTERS
A juvenile pygmy blue whale swims, following a rescue operation by members of the Department of Conservation New Zealand in Kawau Island, New Zealand, September 16, 2024. Department Of Conservation New Zealand/Handout via REUTERS
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South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary Plan Blocked at Int’l Meeting

A juvenile pygmy blue whale swims, following a rescue operation by members of the Department of Conservation New Zealand in Kawau Island, New Zealand, September 16, 2024. Department Of Conservation New Zealand/Handout via REUTERS
A juvenile pygmy blue whale swims, following a rescue operation by members of the Department of Conservation New Zealand in Kawau Island, New Zealand, September 16, 2024. Department Of Conservation New Zealand/Handout via REUTERS

A proposal to establish a sanctuary for whales and other cetacean species in the southern Atlantic Ocean was rejected at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) on Thursday, disappointing animal conservationists, Reuters reported.
At the IWC's annual session in Lima, Peru, 40 countries backed a plan to create a safe haven that would ban commercial whale hunting from West Africa to the coasts of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, extending a protected area already in place in the Southern Ocean.
However, 14 countries opposed the plan, meaning it narrowly failed to get the 75% of votes required.
Among the opponents were Norway, one of the three countries that still engage in commercial whaling, along with Iceland and Japan. Iceland abstained, while Japan left the IWC in 2019.
Petter Meier, head of the Norwegian delegation, told the meeting that the proposal "represents all that is wrong" about the IWC, adding that a sanctuary was "completely unnecessary".
Norway, Japan and Iceland made 825 whale catches worldwide last year, according to data submitted to the IWC.
Whaling fleets "foreign to the region" have engaged in "severe exploitation" of most species of large whales in the South Atlantic, and a sanctuary would help maintain current populations, the proposal said.
The South Atlantic is home to 53 species of whales and other cetaceans, such as dolphins, with many facing extinction risks, said the proposal. It also included a plan to protect cetaceans from accidental "bycatch" by fishing fleets.
"It's a bitter disappointment that the proposal ... has yet again been narrowly defeated by nations with a vested interest in killing whales for profit," said Grettel Delgadillo, Latin America deputy director at Humane Society International, an animal conservation group.
An effort by Antigua and Barbuda to declare whaling a source of "food security" did not gain support, and the IWC instead backed a proposal to maintain a global moratorium on commercial whaling in place since 1986.
"Considering the persistent attempts by pro-whaling nations to dismantle the 40-year-old ban, the message behind this proposal is much needed," said Delgadillo.