Environment of Saudi Arabia
Thus, as the number of population increases and the industrial activity grows, environmental issues pose a real challenge to the country.
[3] Due to intense fossil fuel usage, Saudi Arabia has generated a number of environmental issues.
Likewise, Saudi Arabia's oil industry subsidizes energy use and magnifies carbon dioxide emissions.
[7] While initial research found minuscule long-term impacts, recent studies show oil persistence in ocean habitats.
Coastline construction from residential and tourism projects increase the amount of untreated sewage released into the ocean and excess trash in cities.
The city of Jeddah and other urban areas face problems of heavy traffic that leads to roadside contamination and high carbon emissions.
Currently, Saudi Arabia holds the highest share of AC for household electricity consumption due to the rising heat in the country.
Studies trace the warming temperature of approximately 3 °C in the past 40 years to the increasing amount of AC usage and the electricity demand that comes with it.
[10] The IPCC Fifth Assessment Report states that with high emissions, Saudi Arabian temperatures in 2080 will reach 5-7 °C higher than the 2000s.
Northern regions and cities like Al Jawf, Ḥaʼil, Qassim, Sakākah, Buraydah, and Arar face higher temperature rates.
[10] The G20 Climate Risk Analysis states that the high carbon pathway of Saudi Arabia if continued, will lead to sea temperature and level changes, forestry issues, and water contaminants that impact economic endeavors like agriculture, fisheries, infrastructure, and tourism.
[13] Climate control technology is essential in Saudi Arabia when looking at the average family's temperatures and the architectural style of houses.
73% of people in Saudi Arabia utilize air conditioning for over 10 hours out of the day, year-round, and a substantial majority of the 73% leave the machines running non-stop to combat deadly temperatures in the summer months.
Saudi Arabia has begun to combat these issues through higher standards for AC, building codes, and public programs to raise awareness for energy usage.
High transfer of carbon between bodies of water contributes to the rising sea levels on the coast of Saudi Arabia.
Specifically, in Jeddah, in November 2009 and again in 2022 the city experienced flooding along the coast due to changes in weather patterns consisting of thunderstorms and heavy rain.
Research on Sea Levels and land use can be challenging due to the difficulty of projecting future changes that are accurate and consistent with each other, as well as gathering data that is extensive and reliable.
[2] Peak load, where high energy use creates power outages, is a common fear among the citizens of Saudi Arabia.
The current wealth from oil abundance and pressure from international organizations could encourage the energy sector to move towards sustainable policy.
[21] They have initiated recent renewable energy projects in Saudi Arabia including Solar and hydrogen plants.
In addition to the Layla PV Solar Independent power project, the NEOM Green Hydrogen Plant is a hydraulic alternative to the same renewable energy efforts.
The government recently created the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), an institute dedicated towards efficient, environmentally friendly energy use.
[1] The National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD) is a government sector created for endangered animal preservation.
[25] The Saudi government works towards creating designated areas for wildlife protection and natural resource conservation.
The goal of the NCWCD is to revive destroyed areas and maintain biodiversity while increasing public environmental education research.
[25] Specifically, the NCWCD strives to protect the lava field in Harrat Al-Harrah and the sand sea and cuesta in Uruq Bani Mu'arid.
[27] In hope to increase environmental awareness to schoolchildren the government has partnered with the United States to create the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program.
[31] In 2019, Saudi Arabia started to take serious steps to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels as a source of electricity.
[34] This power now supplies 70,000 homes in Saudi Arabia, and several more major projects amounting to 11.4GW are currently in the works.
[36] Saudi officials at the UN Conference of the Parties in Glasgow and Sharm el Sheikh have been accused of blocking efforts that may threaten global oil demand.
