ASIATODAY.ID, JEDDAH – Green open space has increased by 600 percent in the Makkah region, Saudi Arabia over the last five months, from August to December 2023.
This increase occurred because intense rainfall fell on the city of Makkah with levels reaching 200 mm.
Analysis of remote sensing data revealed that the total area of vegetation cover in Makkah in August was 3,529.4 square kilometers. This number represents 2.3 percent of the total area of the region.
“This area gradually rose over the following months with increasing rainfall, reaching 26,256 square kilometers at the end of the year,” said the National Center for the Development of Vegetation Cover and Eradication of Desertification, reported by the Saudi Gazette, Saturday, January 6, 2024.
In December 2023, vegetation cover stretched to 17.1 percent of the total area of Makkah, mainly in the mountains and plateaus parallel to the Red Sea coast at altitudes ranging from 500 to 2,600 meters. These include the governorates of Makkah, Taif, Al Laith, Al Jumum, Al Kamil, and Khulais.
The national center conducts studies on the status of vegetation cover areas and monitors changes at tree planting project sites.
It also tracks land cover changes, calculates rainfall volumes and assesses crop health, using remote sensing and artificial intelligence technologies. This contributes to achieving the targets of the tree planting project and the Saudi Green initiative.
The center also works to protect vegetation cover sites in the Kingdom after studying all the variables in green spaces. The institute develops capabilities to prepare for and mitigate drought. (ATN)
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