The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) has released its Environment Statistics Publication for 2023. The report reveals a significant expansion of Saudi Arabia’s protected areas. Protected land areas increased by 7.1% in 2023, reaching 361,000 square kilometers. This represents 18.1% of the Kingdom’s total land area.
Marine Protected Areas Witness Substantial Growth
Marine protected areas also experienced remarkable growth. They expanded by 17.7% compared to 2022, reaching 14,000 square kilometers.
Furthermore, the report highlights a significant increase in annual average precipitation. It reached 152 millimeters in 2023, marking a 53.4% increase from the previous year. Concurrently, floodwater collected by dams surged to 1,564 million cubic meters in 2023, a substantial 164.1% increase compared to 2022.
Water Reuse and Waste Management
The volume of reused treated water also increased significantly. It rose by 13.3% in 2023 compared to 2022, comprising 25.2% of the total treated water volume. However, the quantity of municipal waste collected decreased by 4.6% to 19.8 million tons in 2023 compared to the previous year.
The area of green spaces in the municipal sector expanded by 3.2% in 2023. Gardens and parks also witnessed growth, increasing by 1.4% compared to 2022. In 2023, national parks covered 340 million square meters and included 2.6 million planted trees.
Data Compilation and Methodology
GASTAT prepared the Environment Statistics Publication in accordance with the United Nations Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics (FDES 2013). The data relies on two primary sources: GASTAT’s own statistics (censuses and sample surveys) and data from various government agencies. These include the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, the Saudi Water Authority, and environmental centers.
