The value of land and its multiple environments is highlighted by the fact that it is the main incubator of natural habitats for 80% of living organisms. Therefore, defending it in the face of desertification is defending life itself, and a sustainable priority goal.
The fifteenth goal of the seventeen sustainable development goals adopted by the UN stipulates some ways to restore these systems through several means, most notably managing forests sustainably, combating desertification, halting and reversing land degradation, and stopping biodiversity loss.
Doreen Lynn Robinson, Director of the Biodiversity and Land Division at the United Nations Environment Program, stresses that people must realize that healthy ecosystems are vital to human survival, and that protecting all life on Earth, including healthy soils, wildlife and marine life, is the only way to sustain the future.
This can be seen in the Saudi experience that pays great attention to reviving the natural landscape and increasing the vegetation cover in the Kingdom. This had a positive impact on biodiversity, saving animals from extinction, and creating healthy and integrated ecosystems.
Combating desertification saves the biological diversity
On this path, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has come a long way, and its
achievements should be highlighted.
The Saudi experience
The Kingdom has included nature protection in its Vision 2030 goals, which prioritize environmental conservation, expanding land protection to include more than 18% of the country’s area through a plan to restore vegetation and plant native trees with the aim of providing large areas of healthy land and fertile soil.
In the context of the Kingdom’s plan to prevent land degradation and address desertification, it has provided significant support to wildlife, and is currently working on implementing animal resettlement plans within its territories in conjunction with efforts to reclaim 200 million hectares of degraded land inside 
Combating desertification saves the biological diversityand outside the country.
Through its green initiatives, Saudi Arabia has been able to protect lands that represent the backbone of biodiversity, restore ecosystems, and reintroduce iconic species of endangered local animals, such as the Arabian leopard and the oryx.
The Kingdom’s efforts in this field are not limited to the Saudi homeland only, but the Green Middle East Initiative, announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on March 27, 2021, aims to contribute to efforts to combat climate change by increasing vegetation cover in Middle Eastern countries, reducing carbon emissions, combating pollution and land degradation, and preserving marine life by removing more than 670 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Combating desertification saves the biological diversity
National Center for Wildlife DevelopmentT
he National Center for Wildlife Development in the Kingdom is concerned with protecting and developing biodiversity in terrestrial, coastal and marine environments in a sustainable manner, increasing the area of reserves and improving their management, and returning endangered species to their natural habitats.
. Speaking to the United Nations Environment Program, Dr. Mohammed Qurban, the CEO of the center, describes desertification as the “main problem” facing wildlife in the Kingdom, because the loss of vegetation has affected the presence of animals in their natural environment.
Therefore, the center cooperates with the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification to preserve the natural heritage in the Kingdom. Wildlife experts are optimistic about the improvement in nature, its recovery, and the return of living organisms to their old environments.
Combating desertification saves the biological diversity
It is worth noting that the National Center is managed by several research centers that work to preserve wildlife, biodiversity, and ecosystems, including the King Khalid Wildlife Research Center, which is considered one of the world’s specialized centers in researching and breeding wild hoofed animals to preserve them from extinction and re-establish them in their natural environments, such as the Arabian Oryx, the Arabian Gazelle, and the Mountain Ibex.
Royal
Commission for Al-Ula governorate
One of the contributions of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula governorate in the field of environmental conservation is the initiative to establish the Arabian Leopard Fund, which comes within the framework of the strategy implemented by the Commission. It seeks to preserve the Arabian leopard and the ecosystems on which it depends, as it is one of the most endangered animals in the Arabian Peninsula.
Combating desertification saves the biological diversity
Indeed, the Authority's efforts have succeeded in restoring ecosystems and preserving the Arabian leopard from extinction. In 2022, the Authority announced the successful birth of two Arabian leopard cubs.
