RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's protected land areas expanded by 7.1 percent, reaching 361,000 square kilometers during the year 2023 compared to 2022, representing 18.1 percent of the Kingdom's total land area. This was revealed by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) in its Environment Statistics Publication for the year 2023. According to the report, Saudi Arabia's marine protected areas also saw a remarkable 17.7 percent growth compared to 2022, reaching 14,000 square kilometers. It was revealed that the annual average precipitation reached 152 millimeters in 2023, recording a 53.4 percent increase from the previous year. Floodwater collected by dams surged to 1,564 million cubic meters in 2023, a 164.1 percent increase from 2022. The volume of reused treated water increased by 13.3 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, comprising 25.2 percent of the volume of total treated water. The quantity of collected municipal waste recorded a decrease of 4.6 percent, reaching 19.8 million tons in 2023 compared to the previous year. Additionally, the area of green spaces in the municipal sector expanded by 3.2 percent in 2023, while gardens and parks grew by 1.4 percent compared to 2022. In 2023, national parks covered 340 million square meters and included 2.6 million planted trees. According to GASTAT, the Environment Statistics Publication was prepared in accordance with the United Nations Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics (FDES 2013), and relies on two main sources: GASTAT's own statistics (censuses and sample surveys), and statistics from administrative records sources, including 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.
