Over 95 Million Trees Planted Across the Kingdom Since Launch of Saudi Green Initiative

One of the mountainous areas located in the south of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (File/Asharq Al-Awsat)
One of the mountainous areas located in the south of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (File/Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Over 95 Million Trees Planted Across the Kingdom Since Launch of Saudi Green Initiative

One of the mountainous areas located in the south of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (File/Asharq Al-Awsat)
One of the mountainous areas located in the south of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (File/Asharq Al-Awsat)

The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) has said that collaboration with government, private, and non-profit partners has contributed to successfully planting over 95 million trees throughout the Kingdom since the launch of the Saudi Green Initiative in 2021.
These efforts have helped rehabilitate 111,000 hectares of degraded vegetation cover, and protect 4.3 million hectares of land currently undergoing rehabilitation. Moreover, 7.1 million cases of natural vegetation regeneration have been recorded, demonstrating significant progress toward increasing the Kingdom’s vegetation cover, according to SPA.
So far, 121 public, private, and non-profit sector partners have contributed to greening efforts, reflecting a commitment to achieving shared national goals, and successful partnerships in the afforestation efforts, in line with the targets of the Saudi Green Initiative and Vision 2030. These efforts contribute to reducing carbon emissions, improving the quality of life, and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
NCVC is actively involved in protecting, monitoring, and rehabilitating vegetation cover, addressing violations, combating illegal logging, and managing rangelands, forests, and national parks sustainably. These endeavors are essential to fostering a thriving and sustainable vegetation cover for future generations.



Russian Rescued after 67 Days Adrift in Waters Fringing Pacific

Russian authorities said on Tuesday they had rescued a man whose tiny boat drifted for 67 days since August in waters edging the northwestern Pacific. (AFP file)
Russian authorities said on Tuesday they had rescued a man whose tiny boat drifted for 67 days since August in waters edging the northwestern Pacific. (AFP file)
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Russian Rescued after 67 Days Adrift in Waters Fringing Pacific

Russian authorities said on Tuesday they had rescued a man whose tiny boat drifted for 67 days since August in waters edging the northwestern Pacific. (AFP file)
Russian authorities said on Tuesday they had rescued a man whose tiny boat drifted for 67 days since August in waters edging the northwestern Pacific. (AFP file)

Russian authorities said on Tuesday they had rescued a man whose tiny boat drifted for 67 days since August in waters edging the northwestern Pacific, but his brother and nephew died during the ordeal.

Social media images showed a thin, bearded man wearing a hooded jacket and orange emergency vest in a catamaran-like sailboat flying a red flag from a small pole.

"On Oct 14, a vessel was discovered in the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk," legal authorities in Russia's Far East said on the Telegram messaging app, referring to waters that sprawl over 1.58 mln sq km (610,000 sq miles).

"Two people died, one survived," added the regional prosecutor's office charged with handling transport issues. "He is receiving medical assistance."

The boat with the man and bodies aboard was finally sighted by fishermen near the village of Ust-Khayruzovo, off the coast of the Kamchatka peninsula, the post added.

Authorities did not immediately identify the voyagers.

Russia's SHOT Telegram channel said the boat was found about 1,000 km (621 miles) from its initial destination.

The legal authorities said two men, accompanied by the 15-year-old son of one, set sail on Aug. 9 from a cape in Khabarovsk Krai in the region, headed for the town of Okha on Sakhalin island.

"After a while, contact with them was lost, their location remained unknown," they added.

The Baza Telegram channel close to Russia's security services said the survivor, aged 46, was taken to hospital in serious condition, after his 49-year-old brother and the teenager had died while adrift.

A month-long search after the boat went astray proved unsuccessful, it added.