It is no secret that our world is suffering from lack of environmentally conscious countries and governments. But luckily more people are now aware of the issues we are facing regarding how long our earth is going to last. Authorities in Saudi Arabia have announced stringent measures to combat environmental vandalism, with fines of up to 30 million riyals (nearly $8m) and 10 years in jail. “Cutting down trees, shrubs, herbs, or plans [and] uprooting, moving, stripping them of their bark, leaves or any part, or moving their soil” could land offenders with the maximum fine and jail time, the Saudi public prosecution said in a tweet this week. Saudi Arabia has a 2030 development plan to achieve environmental sustainability by the end of the decade. The plan also includes planting 10 million trees across the kingdom by april 2021. Although it may seem like it will be expensive, it is not going to cost very much but they said they cant put a price on our planet’s health.
This is also going to open up job opportunities for the people of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With many losing their jobs this year due to the pandemic, it is going to be a great opportunity for them. Thousands of acres of forest are being cut down everyday, and studies show what will happen in the future if more trees are lost. These frightening scenarios have prompted NGOs, government agencies and businesses to see what they can do to protect the environment. Nabatik aims to work with Eastern Province municipalities and plans on expanding to others across the Kingdom, teaming up with nurseries to develop their capabilities while also encouraging businesspeople to invest in nurseries as growing and profitable ventures. “The more businesses thrive, the higher the supply and demand would be,” Al-Khalid added, eventually helping their economy as well.