RIYADH: Regional and international cooperation is pivotal in addressing environmental challenges, especially in rehabilitating degraded lands, according to Saudi Arabia’s vice minister of environment, water, and agriculture. Speaking at the 26th meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council ministers responsible for environmental affairs in Qatar, Mansour Al-Mushaiti emphasized that collaboration is essential to strengthen the resilience of drought-prone communities, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency. The Kingdom is leading environmental protection efforts in the region through the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to protect 30 percent of the nation’s land and marine areas by 2030. Saudi Arabia’s National Environment Strategy provides a framework focused on conserving biodiversity, preventing land degradation, and advancing global coral reef research. During the meeting, Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, noted that environmental protection and addressing climate change impacts have become core priorities for countries in the region. “On the international front, collective cooperation to address climate change and other environmental challenges has become essential among all countries, with GCC states actively contributing to global cooperation and providing solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change while preserving the environment,” Al-Budaiwi said in a statement. He added that GCC nations are working to enhance environmental policies, promote renewable energy, and reduce carbon emissions to strike a balance between development and environmental preservation. Saudi Arabia’s Al-Mushaiti urged GCC nations to ratify the Middle East Green Initiative Charter and set national targets for tree planting and land rehabilitation. He also called for greater support from national development funds for vegetation projects across the region. In May, Saudi Arabia committed $2.5 billion to the Middle East Green Initiative to further environmental sustainability across the region. Al-Mushaiti also noted that the upcoming COP16 in Saudi Arabia this December will play a significant role in advancing international efforts to reduce land degradation and combat drought. Earlier this month, during the 10th Regional Forum of the International Union for Conservation of Nature for West Asia, Saudi Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli highlighted the Kingdom’s environmental progress through the National Environment Strategy and the Saudi Green Initiative.