UN Environment and the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia signed a strategic cooperation agreement this week to strengthen environmental protection and safeguard natural resources in the Kingdom.

Through the US$25 million agreement financed by the Ministry, UN Environment will provide technical support to build institutional and human capacities to achieve the Kingdom’s National Environment Strategy and the National Transformation Program. More specifically, UN Environment will develop institutional and regulatory structures for the environment sector by developing institutional frameworks and organizational structures for the environment sector.

UN Environment will provide technical experts in the fields of environmental law, regulations and standards, air quality management, climate change and waste management, among others. The Ministry will be supported in the management of environmental data and information. All of these efforts will contribute to the environmental component of the Saudi Vision 2030.

Countries across the West Asia region are facing similar environmental challenges to those seen in Saudi Arabia, including air pollution, water scarcity, waste management and climate change. The agreement adopts a bottom-up approach to address many of these challenges and presents an example for other countries of the region to address similar challenges.

“We look forward to strengthening our partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on environmental issues,” said UN Environment Acting Executive Director Joyce Msuya during the signing ceremony. By supporting better data and information systems, and building technical capacities to monitor and address environmental challenges, we aim to reinforce the governments’ efforts to achieve sustainable development in the region.”

The agreement strengthens the long-standing partnership which UN Environment has had with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The elements included in the agreement complement the ongoing joint efforts in addressing climate change in the Kingdom, among other environmental challenges. The agreement will support the Kingdom in achieving Vision 2030 and the sustainable development goals.

Story by UN Environment