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15.2 OPERATIONS

Securing KAUST ’ s natural resources

The KAUST ’ s Nature Conservation Area ( NCA ) was established in 2017 , spanning a wide coastal area encompassing 152 hectares from the beginning of the Safaa Gardens neighborhood ’ s coastline mangroves , all the way up to King Abdullah ’ s Monument . The area hosts the Ibn Sina Field Research Station , used by KAUST researchers to perform long-term experiments and monitoring programs to gather important information about the local biodiversity of species and their global contribution . Over 2021 , the Health , Safety and Environment ( HSE ) department released the “ Mangroves at KAUST ” website , a compendium of all historical and current information on KAUST Mangroves and the NCA .

KAUST ’ s Natural Environment

increase of mangrove coverage from 2005-2020

hectares of mangrove forest

distinct shoreline and shallow-water habitats

Protecting KAUST ’ s blooming biodiversity

KAUST ’ s land and marine habitats provide a safe haven to hundreds of species who call KAUST home . Inside and outside of the NCA , a rich biodiversity thrives from the manmade parks and green areas , to the shorelines and canals . KAUST sets several operational policies , guidelines , and monitoring systems — all aimed at managing local biodiversity . These include environmental permitting and monitoring processes , biodiversity protection and conservation , and nature appreciation and engagement programs . In 2019 , HSE released the book “ Biodiversity : Flora and Fauna of KAUST ”, a celebration of all recorded flora and fauna on KAUST lands . In 2022 , KAUST has been working on a new Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan to further our commitment to biodiversity protection .

KAUST ’ s Biodiversity

Coral species

Fish species

Bird species

Restoring mangrove coverage while offsetting emissions

Native plant species

KAUST ’ s mangrove forest conservation and enhancement has been a key part of the operations of the university since its early days . Mangrove forests rank among the most intense carbon sinks in the biosphere , locking much more carbon into their soils than tropical forests . As part of an activity from the Winter Enrichment Program ( WEP ) 2022 , several participants were part of a mangrove planting campaign at KAUST ’ s Nature Conservation Area . The event aimed to promote awareness on the importance of reforestation and offset five times the carbon emissions of WEP business travelling , by planting more than 200 mangroves .

15.3 ENGAGEMENT & OUTREACH

Joining policy makers at the inaugural Saudi Green Initiative Forum

In October 2021 , KAUST participated in the inaugural Saudi Green Initiative ( SGI ) Forum and the adjoining Youth Green Summit . Inaugurated in 2021 , the SGI lays a pioneering strategy for Saudi Arabia to unite environmental protection , energy transition and sustainability programs within the Kingdom . With over 75 speakers including government representatives , CEOs , investors and influential institutions , KAUST faculty , students and leadership have participated in multiple sessions during the event , demonstrating the university ’ s commitment to supporting the Kingdom on its ambitious sustainable development agenda , which includes a massive afforestation goal .

Supporting the Greening Saudi Project

In 2022 KAUST signed an agreement with Imar Engineering Consulting , lead of the consortium mandated to deliver the implementation plan for the Greening Saudi Project , part of the Saudi Green Initiative .

As part of the ambitious targets of the project , the Kingdom aims to transform its desert landscape into green rehabilitated lands by planting 10 billion trees across 40 million hectares of land over the coming decades .

Such afforestation efforts come with challenges , particularly for the survival and ecological sustainability of the planted trees . Given KAUST ’ s expertise in desert agriculture , water security and environmental restoration , the university will provide the necessary scientific support to ensure the project ’ s targets are met with evidencebased plans . In addition to carbon sequestration , the massive tree planting project is expected to improve air quality , reduce sandstorms , combat desertification , and lower temperatures in adjacent areas across the Kingdom .

KAUST and Imar Engineering Consulting sign agreement to support the Greening Saudi Project

Celebrating our Planet

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