Environmental Protection in KSA

Environmental Protection in KSA:

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has broadcasted its efforts to ensure its contribution to the protection of the environment and its resources. This section is dedicated to bringing forth the environmental challenges in the Kingdom and the Kingdom’s international efforts in protecting the environment. It will also focus on wildlife and livestock, marine life and fish livestock, and the overall agricultural environment. Climate is an essential part of the environment; therefore, you will find entries dedicated to the weather, reducing air pollution, an index of air quality, reducing water pollution and reducing soil pollution. Waste recycling programs and initiatives are also introduced in this section in addition to environmental licenses, renewable energy and environmental legislation based on international systems and strategies for wildlife preservation. You can explore the available services through the following link.

Reducing Air Pollution

Preserving air quality is one of the primary responsibilities of the National Center for Environmental Compliance, which seeks to establish and monitor the implementation of air quality standards and regulations. This effort aligns with the country’s general policy, in accordance with the Basic Law of Governance, which emphasizes the importance of public health and environmental protection from all pollutants.

There is no doubt that maintaining air quality and protecting it from various emission sources is a pressing global issue, especially amid the challenges societies face due to population growth, urban expansion, and industrial development, which negatively impact natural resources. Similar to the global situation, Saudi Arabia faces environmental challenges that require intensified efforts and coordination of regional and international cooperation to address them.

Environmental pollution resulting from industrial development is among the key sources negatively affecting human health. This includes poisoning caused by air, water, and food contamination, as well as direct harm to vital bodily functions. In some cases, the damage extends to genetic structures, leading to hereditary diseases.

Thus, air quality monitoring aims to study and evaluate air quality across the Kingdom, identify the most polluted areas, and develop effective plans and solutions to mitigate environmental pollution and promote a sustainable and healthy environment.

Air Quality in Riyadh

Air quality in Riyadh is a significant concern due to the city’s rapid urban growth and expansion of developmental and industrial projects. Relevant authorities are working to improve air quality and reduce pollutants through various initiatives aimed at minimizing harmful emissions and enhancing the urban environment.

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City monitors air quality through 17 monitoring stations distributed across the city. These stations provide accurate, real-time indicators of air pollutant levels, including particulate matter and gases, ensuring transparent access to air quality data for the public.

Key Sources of Air Pollution in Riyadh

1. Vehicular Emissions:
   • Vehicles are the primary source of air pollution in the city, releasing large amounts of harmful gases such as nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO).
   • Riyadh is working on improving public transportation systems and promoting the use of electric vehicles to reduce these emissions.
2. Industrial and Construction Activities:
   • Factories and construction sites contribute significantly to the spread of fine particulate matter, which negatively affects public health.
   • The government is implementing strict environmental regulations on industrial emissions and encouraging the use of advanced pollution control technologies.
3. Sandstorms and Dust:
   • Due to its geographical location, Riyadh experiences seasonal sandstorms that increase the concentration of airborne particulate matter.
   • Large-scale afforestation projects under the Saudi Green Initiative are being implemented to mitigate dust pollution and improve air quality.

Efforts to Improve Air Quality in Riyadh

• Green Riyadh Project:
  • Aims to plant over 7.5 million trees across the city to help absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) and filter particulate matter from the air.
• Transition to Clean Energy:
  • Encouraging the adoption of renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and lower carbon emissions.
• Expansion of Public Transportation Networks:
  • Includes the Riyadh Metro Project, which aims to reduce private vehicle dependency, thereby decreasing exhaust emissions and improving air quality.
• Stricter Environmental Regulations:
  • Enforcing strict industrial emission controls and developing advanced air quality monitoring technologies across the city.

Air Quality Indicators

• Recent data suggests that air quality has improved in certain parts of Riyadh due to the implementation of stricter environmental policies.
• Air quality is measured based on the Air Quality Index (AQI), which tracks major pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), ozone (O₃), and fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅).

Riyadh is striving to balance urban development with air quality preservation through sustainable strategies, including expanding green spaces, enhancing public transport, and enforcing stricter environmental regulations. With the continued implementation of these initiatives, the city is expected to see gradual improvements in air quality over the coming years.

Waste management includes materials that are discarded and negatively impact health and the environment, such as construction waste, municipal waste, industrial waste, medical waste, hazardous waste, and electronic waste. Reducing waste is essential, either by minimizing its quantity or recycling it.

Recycling is the process of converting components of waste into reusable materials for manufacturing, while treatment involves using physical or chemical techniques to reduce the volume of waste or remove contaminants.

As part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, the country aims to develop a circular economy, which promotes the reuse of resources, thus reducing emissions and production costs. This includes innovations like using recycled plastic in road construction to improve quality and reduce costs.

The comprehensive strategic plan for waste management is one of the key programs implemented by the National Waste Management Center. It aims to establish a national strategy for sector development, including the treatment of solid waste through material sorting for recycling, converting organic waste into compost, and using non-recyclable waste as an energy source.

Hazardous waste, such as toxic or flammable materials, requires special handling methods. The Kingdom invests in resource recovery, such as recycling tires and electronics.

Medical waste, generated by healthcare institutions, is regulated and managed according to specific environmental standards.

Through these initiatives, the Kingdom aims to achieve a sustainable environment and a circular economy that improves quality of life and reduces environmental impact.

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Municipal Solid Waste Definition

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is a technical term used in waste management to describe daily household and commercial waste collected in standard waste containers.

This includes food scraps, bags, packaging, cans, paper, etc.

Daily Waste Quantities Transported to the Landfill

The daily municipal solid waste transported to the Sulay landfill (the designated landfill in Riyadh) in 2024 was as follows:

Waste Composition

Based on a recent study of municipal solid waste composition in Riyadh, the results were:

Operation Mechanisms (Collection/Transport, Sorting, Landfilling)

Collection Mechanism

Riyadh is divided into 15 waste collection districts, following a geographic sequence starting from district division to supervisory zones and operational areas for waste collection.

Waste collection operates in two shifts:

• Primary Shift: Covers all streets and residential areas.
• Secondary Shift: Focuses on commercial areas/streets with high waste generation.

Each waste collection vehicle is assigned to two operational zones per day, requiring two trips (from the zone to the landfill). Operations run 24/7.

Shift Timings:

• Primary Shift: 9:00 PM – 8:00 AM
• Secondary Shift: 10:30 AM – 7:00 PM

All waste is transported to Sulay landfill, where vehicles are weighed upon entry. Net weight is calculated automatically by subtracting the total weight of vehicle from the vehicle’s empty weight (pre-registered).

Waste Collection Fleet in Riyadh:

Container Numbers in Riyadh:

Sorting Mechanism

Approximately 5% of municipal solid waste is sorted monthly at Sulail Landfill’s sorting facility. In Q4 2024, 55,378 tons of waste were sorted.

The remaining 95% is disposed of in landfills. Plans are underway to increase sorting rates gradually, aligned with future implementation of source-segregation programs.

Landfilling Mechanism

As for the landfilling mechanism in the Sulay landfill, the waste is placed and emptied vertically and the emptying process is carried out until it is pushed using a bulldozer from bottom to top until the entire surface of the cell is covered at a height that allows the compaction equipment or crushers to compact the cell and the process is repeated until the required and renewed height is obtained, which is 2.75 m of waste. The cell level is periodically raised to reach this height with continuous compaction to reach the required compaction percentage per cubic meter to be ready to place the covering layer, which takes into account:

• The thickness of the covering layer is 25 cm compacted at a rate of up to 95%, which is a very high rate for compacting the soil on the cell waste
• Practically placing a 30 cm layer before compaction until reaching a thickness of 25 cm compacted properly and following up on this survey to reach the required thickness.
• Spraying water on the cover soil helps to hold the soil particles together when compacting and to close the soil pores to prevent the emission of odors.
• The work team directs the grader after spreading the soil to perform the appropriate leveling until it is compacted properly.
• The coverage team directs the bullet to compact the covered area while spraying it with water to reach the required compaction percentage.
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