Saudi Arabia’s Greenification Opportunity ?????- Part 1 | Exploring Green Benefits
???? Reimagining Saudi Arabia's Green Past
While everyone is watching big construction projects like NEOM or giant golden cubes being built in Riyadh (all frequently praised as world-changing) the public is missing the one project that literally has the potential to permanently reshape the region: greenification.
Research suggests that thousands of years ago, the Arabian Peninsula was a land of lush greenery, where forests and grasslands thrived. Gazelles, oryx, and wild goats roamed freely, and rivers meandered through vibrant landscapes. This was a Saudi Arabia far removed from the arid desert we know today.
“There were surely lots of lakes ?? and rivers ?? all across Arabia, and there was plenty of grass ?? with vegetation for these animals to consume” -Michael Petraglia, Institute for the Science of Human History ??
The transformation from green to desert was gradual, driven by shifts in climate patterns and human activities, research into which is proving increasingly insightful as we face new changes in climate patterns and responsibility to deal with them. Over centuries, the likely once-verdant land became a vast desert and stark reminder of ecology’s delicate balance.
Discoveries around changes in climate and human impact are not just a glimpse into the past; they are a call to action: not merely to slow done some effects but rather to think boldly about the good we can do with the power wealthy nations wield over their climate. They inspire a vision for the Arabian Peninsula where the desert blooms once again and we slowly return arid step to forests, leading by example for many other places increasingly standing at the abyss of environmental disaster.
As of today, this vision is not some crazy speculation but an actionable plan pursued through a number of public-private initiatives that combine local action with regional strategies. A lot of these actions will undoubtedly fall on arid ground and go nowhere but some will succeed and there’s reason to believe that within our currently predicted lifetimes we will see a far greener region than anyone can picture today.
Through this four part series of articles, I want to explorer:
Discoveries around changes in climate and human impact are not just a glimpse into the past; they are a call to action: […] to think boldly about the good we can do with the power wealthy nations wield over their climate.
I realize that these are contentious topics that are accompanied not only by opportunities and challenges but also real ecological threats to surrounding regions in addition to the innumerable economic threats involved in many of the presented strategies and projects. Thus, I invite you to share your insights, thoughts, and ideas. Kindly share and connect with anyone you believe may have a perspective to add and I look forward to hear your opinions!
Chapter 1: Greenification - A Gateway to Opportunity
The vision of transforming Saudi Arabia's desert landscapes into thriving green spaces is not merely an aesthetic or environmental endeavor. It's a multifaceted opportunity that promises to reshape the nation's future in profound ways. Here's an initial overview of some benefits:
?? Economic Advantages
?? Diversification: Greenification represents a strategic shift away from oil dependency. By embracing sustainable agriculture, forestry, and eco-tourism, Saudi Arabia can diversify its economy, creating new avenues for growth and innovation. Eco-friendly resorts being built at the Red Sea are among the first manifestations of this trend, with on-going projects in the already green southern region many more are likely to follow. More agreeable climatic zones will likely also go a long way in attracting international business already allured by the low-tax environment and increasing commonwealth-like legal system.
???? Job Creation: The transformation of desert landscapes into green spaces requires expertise and labor across various fields. From research and development to farming and conservation, greenification can create a wide array of employment opportunities, fueling economic prosperity. As more land becomes prosperous and farming expands, this creates especially pronounced job opportunities for African migrants with a background in local farming.
?? Investment Attraction: A commitment to environmental innovation aligns with global sustainability goals and will likely attract significant investment and partnerships. Both are essential to other parts of the region’s economic playbook implying that to some extent greenification may be not just an opportunity but an urgent requirement to secure funding for other sectors of the economy.
?? Social Advantages
?? Quality of Life: Green spaces are more than aesthetic enhancements; they contribute to the well-being of the population. By providing recreational areas, improving air quality, and fostering community engagement, greenification enhances mental and physical health outcomes. Creating year-round outdoor friendly spaces also goes a long way to addressing the region’s obesity problem which I predict will soon become painfully tangible on national healthcare bills and deserves a whole separate article series. Local produce will simultaneously support the nutrition side and reduce dependency on food imports.
?? Education and Awareness: Environmental projects are platforms for learning and inspiration. They nurture a new generation of environmental stewards, fostering awareness, responsibility, and passion for nature. In pursuing these lofty goals, Arabia can begin to shift Africa and Asia’s thinking towards sustainable practices and their benefits, a goal Europe and America have thus far spectacularly failed at with their international policies and teachings emphasizing growth reduction and social responsibility instead of the benefits associated. If the Qatari World Cup has shown anything then that the Middle East holds far greater sway over Asian and African economies and thinking than Europe would like to admit.
???????? Community Development: Greenification is not a top-down approach; it thrives on local participation. By actively involving local communities, it strengthens social bonds, empowers individuals, and boosts local economies. This will be possibly the most challenging opportunity to realize and one where lessons can be drawn from other world regions such as China’s environmental projects and Green Belt Initiative, which have failed criticism for leaving behind local communities. Likely the devil will lie in the detail of resource allocation and project planning to ensure maximum efficiency through local enablement without favoritism.
?? Sustainability
??? Climate Change Mitigation: It is needless to say that reforestation and sustainable land management are vital tools in the fight against global warming. By sequestering carbon, greenification contributes to climate change mitigation, aligning with global efforts to protect our planet. Complex modeling will be needed to predict exactly how and where efforts can have the most favorable impact without harming other ares by for example redirecting arid wind patterns. Nevertheless, even small wins can be crucial to future progress as Singapore has demonstrated that targeted greenification and construction can combat the urban heat effect, improving livelihoods.
?? Water Conservation: Water is a precious resource, especially in arid regions. Through innovative irrigation and water recycling, greenification optimizes water usage and can even help to increase rainfall, entering into a beneficiary cycle. Initial water can be provided through desalination which is more feasible in a low-energy cost environment than elsewhere. Particularly if energy can be produced sustainably through solar, wind, or nuclear power, there are few downsides to desalinating large amounts of ocean water (plus, on a less serious note, sea levels are rising anyways so no one will miss a few million tons…). However, this is also one of the most nuanced areas since we have a history of failed water redirection projects that failed on truly unfathomable scale (looking at you, Soviet Union), hopefully we can make these learning opportunities!
Successfully converting strips of desert into green lands is guaranteed to secure Saudi Arabia a seat at the tables of global diplomacy far beyond the chairs granted for oil wealth.
?? Biodiversity Enhancement: Restoring natural habitats is not just about planting trees; it's about creating balanced and resilient ecosystems. Greenification promotes biodiversity, ensuring the survival of various species and the health of the environment. As habitats elsewhere become less diverse due to climate change and human activity, every square inch of animal habitat is a welcomed one. Controlling the spread of species in newly created biodiversity spaces will be a challenge hopefully involving far more knowledgeable individuals than myself, but I’m hopeful that we can provide fruitful breeding grounds for animal life (that is, at least for birds, if they make it past the massive mirror wall called NEOM on their seasonal migration).
?? World-Leading Exemplary Role
?? Global Leadership: By pioneering greenification, Saudi Arabia can position itself as a global leader in environmental innovation and desert land restoration. It's a role that resonates with responsibility, vision, and ambition, the very topics shaping the Kingdom’s current focus. Successfully converting strips of desert into green lands is guaranteed to secure Saudi Arabia a seat at the tables of global diplomacy far beyond the chairs granted for oil wealth. Committing themselves to this goal and delivering on it, would likely shape more than one textbook and go down in human history as an admirable success in the face of our species’ otherwise somewhat less favorable track record of ecological and climate impact.
Delivering on greenification, would likely shape more than one textbook and go down in human history as an admirable success in the face of our species’ otherwise somewhat less favorable track record of ecological and climate impact.
?? Inspiring Others: If you have done it once… - Saudi's success in greenification could serve as a blueprint for other arid regions. It's an opportunity to promote global collaboration, knowledge sharing, and collective growth. Some of the regions perhaps most interested in learning from successful projects would be Central Asia (another resource rich region not exactly blessed with balanced climate), Africa (perhaps one of the more promising use cases for international support funds), North America (imagine Las Vegas as a green city - not quite sure how that would increase casino visits but then again unlikely to harm the state’s overall economic prosperity), and Australia.
Wrapping it up
Undoubtedly, the opportunities associated with successful greenification are numerous and my list scarcely complete. However, I hope to provide a starting argument why Saudi Arabia should commit to greenification targets and dedicate significant resources to existing and potential projects in that name. Moreover, analyzing the possible benefits provides an entry point to determining most suitable regions to begin with, a topic I look forward to analyze further with some additional structure once we have investigated the requirements and shapes such projects may take.
On that note, I will call it a wrap on this first chapter and jump to editing my next piece investigating the sources for desertification and the arid climate faced today on the Arabian peninsula.
Please share what opportunities you see in greenification and projects you are already aware of!
…to be continued :)
Bank Employee at Bank of khyber
1 年I am interested