Innovating for the forests: charting a new course against deforestation

Innovating for the forests: charting a new course against deforestation

Innovating for the forests: charting a new course against deforestation
In 2022, deforestation rates increased by 4%, setting us back 21% from the 2030 target to cease deforestation. (Shutterstock)
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As we marked International Day of Forests last week, let us recognize the silent guards that are our planet’s forests. These supports of biodiversity and natural heritage are hovering on the edge, facing threats from human encroachment and climate instability.

Deforestation is a relentless force, eroding our forests. This destruction is not just about losing trees — it is about the breakdown of ecosystems, the silencing of countless species, and the depletion of crucial carbon reservoirs. The effects are felt worldwide, influencing climate, water resources, and the air on which we rely. The UN has identified deforestation as the source of up to 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions annually, underscoring the need for prompt action.

In 2022, deforestation rates increased by 4 percent, setting us back 21 percent from the 2030 target to cease deforestation. The Amazon, the heart of our planet, is being depleted at an alarming rate. The Congo basin, with its distinctive wildlife, is under constant threat. Southeast Asia’s forests are rapidly shrinking, with the Tropical Forest Alliance reporting a loss of about 1.5 million hectares in just one year.

In these critical times, Alwaleed Philanthropies has created an innovative initiative to utilize technological advancements to counteract deforestation. Atlai is an artificial intelligence-powered platform providing monitoring and reporting on deforestation around the world. Pioneered by Alwaleed Philanthropies, Atlai harnesses the power of AI to unlock the potential of collective action through accessible climate data. As part of Alwaleed Philanthropies’ commitment to supporting a healthier environment, Atlai empowers the global community working to combat deforestation through the provision of accessible, actionable data.

Aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, Atlai makes climate data accessible, enabling environmentalists, policymakers, and local communities to take informed action.

Access to accurate and timely data is paramount in the fight against deforestation. Atlai serves as an electronic guard, providing a comprehensive view of the forests’ health and the challenges they face. By compiling satellite imagery, ground reports, and advanced algorithms, Atlai identifies critical areas of deforestation, then generates reports, social media posts or facts about the deforestation activity in addition to creating a country profile and providing data for the past 20 years. This data is not just informative, but also transformative. It empowers stakeholders to make informed decisions, leading to targeted conservation efforts, holding governments and corporations accountable, and fostering a global community of forest guardians.

Atlai hopes to open the door for more collective approaches where inclusive and accessible platforms can help accelerate the solutions to the climate transition.

Let us rally around Atlai. Spreading awareness, supporting growing initiatives, and advocating for policy changes can amplify Atlai’s impact. Alwaleed Philanthropies’ commitment to innovation and environmental stewardship calls upon us to act. Together, we can reverse deforestation, restore lost ecosystems, and protect our forests for the future.

  • Princess Lamia bint Majed Al-Saud is secretary-general of Alwaleed Philanthropies. Twitter: @lamia1507
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point of view

Hezbollah says attacked Israel naval base with drones, missiles

Hezbollah says attacked Israel naval base with drones, missiles
Updated 6 min 43 sec ago
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Hezbollah says attacked Israel naval base with drones, missiles

Hezbollah says attacked Israel naval base with drones, missiles
  • Hezbollah fighters “targeted the Stella Maris naval base northwest of Haifa,” the group said

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Hezbollah group said it targeted a naval base near the Israeli city of Haifa with drones and missiles Wednesday, the fourth attack on the base in as many weeks.
Hezbollah fighters “targeted the Stella Maris naval base northwest of Haifa with a salvo of high-quality missiles and a squadron of attack drones,” the group said in a statement.


Pegula withdraws from WTA Finals with knee injury

Pegula withdraws from WTA Finals with knee injury
Updated 1 min 17 sec ago
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Pegula withdraws from WTA Finals with knee injury

Pegula withdraws from WTA Finals with knee injury
  • Pegula lost her opening two matches in Saudi Arabia in straight sets and had no chance of advancing to the semifinals
  • US Open finalist was due to face defending champion Iga Swiatek and will now be replaced by alternate Daria Kasatkina

RIYADH: American sixth seed Jessica Pegula has withdrawn from the WTA Finals in Riyadh with a left knee injury, the tournament announced on Wednesday.

A runner-up at the WTA Finals last year, Pegula lost her opening two matches in Saudi Arabia in straight sets and had no chance of advancing to the semifinals.

The US Open finalist was due to face defending champion Iga Swiatek in the last day of round-robin action on Thursday and will now be replaced by alternate Daria Kasatkina on the schedule.

“I’ve just been struggling with a little bit of an injury and for whatever reason, it really flared up this week. Not really sure why,” Pegula, 30, said.

“In the few days before practice, it felt really, really good, but it started creeping up right before my first match, and just feel like I’m not feeling comfortable moving on court, so I just wanted to make the decision to unfortunately pull out.”

Kasatkina is ranked No. 9 in the world and recently clinched the WTA 500 title in Ningbo.

She is 1-5 head-to-head against Swiatek, losing her last five consecutive clashes with the Pole. 

Coco Gauff is the only player in the Orange Group in Riyadh to have secured passage to the semifinals.


Israel’s Netanyahu calls Trump, discusses Iran threat

Israel’s Netanyahu calls Trump, discusses Iran threat
Updated 16 min 55 sec ago
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Israel’s Netanyahu calls Trump, discusses Iran threat

Israel’s Netanyahu calls Trump, discusses Iran threat
  • Trump and Netanyahu agreed to work together for Israel’s security

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Donald Trump on Wednesday after his stunning US election victory and discussed the “Iranian threat” to Israel’s security, his office said.
“The conversation was warm and cordial. The prime minister congratulated Trump on his election victory, and the two agreed to work together for Israel’s security. The two also discussed the Iranian threat,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.


Specialists participate in international conference in Jeddah over the conservation of Red Sea turtles

Specialists participate in international conference in Jeddah over the conservation of Red Sea turtles
Updated 25 min 9 sec ago
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Specialists participate in international conference in Jeddah over the conservation of Red Sea turtles

Specialists participate in international conference in Jeddah over the conservation of Red Sea turtles
  • First-of-its-kind symposium an important step toward cooperation between Red Sea countries and international experts in facing environmental challenges
  • Participants reviewed the latest research and discussed issues related to the status of sea turtles in the region

JEDDAH: More than 90 academics and experts in environmental sciences and biodiversity conservation from 10 countries participated in the first International Symposium for the Conservation of Sea Turtles in the Red Sea.
The Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday that the symposium, which ran from Nov. 3-6 in Jeddah and titled “Moving toward the future … enhancing the protection of sea turtles in the Red Sea through science, cooperation and innovation.” was organized by the General Organization for the Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea (Shams).
The first-of-its-kind symposium is an important step toward cooperation between the Red Sea countries and international experts in facing environmental challenges, because it reflects an urgent regional and global desire to enhance environmental sustainability and develop effective strategies to protect sea turtles in the Red Sea, in line with international environmental obligations and preserving the natural heritage of the Kingdom.
During the four-day event, participants reviewed the latest research and discussed important issues related to the status of sea turtles in the region, as well as means to find innovative solutions to the challenges they face, through lectures, presentations and interactive workgroups.
Seven of the most prominent international speakers gave keynote speeches, during which they presented their experiences and research expertise on protecting sea turtles and made recommendations aimed at enhancing the sustainability of this vital species in its natural environment.
The conference staged 31 presentations and four workgroups that addressed various topics, including assessing the strengths and weaknesses of efforts to protect sea turtles in the Red Sea, and identifying activities and procedures that contribute to developing a comprehensive action plan for the Red Sea.
In addition, the workshops during the symposium highlighted the importance of developing an integrated strategy to protect sea turtles in their breeding sites, especially in the Ras Baridi area, which faces critical environmental challenges.
Among the conference’s main priorities and outcomes, the development of a regional action plan for the conservation of sea turtles was discussed, in addition to bilateral initiatives between the Red Sea countries to rehabilitate beaches designated for turtle nesting and provide strategic support for future development plans.
It was also agreed to strengthen partnerships with universities to provide international supervision for Saudi students, and to establish local partnerships aimed at preserving important natural environments for turtles, especially in the Four Sisters islands, which were recently discovered by the Shams team and designated as a special area requiring environmental management to protect them.


Trump’s Middle East peace promise wins over Muslim voters

Trump’s Middle East peace promise wins over Muslim voters
Updated 06 November 2024
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Trump’s Middle East peace promise wins over Muslim voters

Trump’s Middle East peace promise wins over Muslim voters
  • Trump won over swathes of Muslim voters with a promise to end bloodshed in the Middle East

DEARBORN, United States: Incoming US president Donald Trump pulled off a surprising feat late in the 2024 campaign, winning over swathes of Muslim voters with a promise to end bloodshed in the Middle East.
Now, his new supporters are celebrating his victory and confident he will deliver as Israel continues its 13-month siege of Gaza and bombardment of neighboring Lebanon.
In Dearborn, America’s largest Arab-American enclave, preliminary results showed Trump narrowly eking out first place — a dramatic swing from 2020, when outgoing president Joe Biden won handily.
This time around, the left-leaning vote fractured between Vice President Kamala Harris and the Green Party’s Jill Stein.
“People got the message that Trump is trying to bring peace to the Middle East and to the whole world,” said Bill Bazzi, the Lebanese-American mayor of neighboring Dearborn Heights, speaking to AFP from a late-night hookah bar gathering that transformed into an early-morning party.
Bazzi dismissed what he called the media’s distortion of Trump’s previous “Muslim ban,” insisting it was only a matter of closer vetting of select unstable countries to prevent Daesh militants from getting into the United States.
A Marine veteran who campaigned for Trump in his closing rallies, he added he had been in contact with high-level members of the incoming administration who assured him that “one of the things (Trump) is pushing is to stop the war — he wants more diplomacy.”
Others, like Yemeni-American activist and real estate agent Samra’a Luqman, were defiant.
Like other Arab Americans, she was outraged by the Biden-Harris administration’s unwavering military and diplomatic support for Israel in the Gaza and Lebanon conflicts, where the civilian death tolls continue to soar.
“They can blame us for Harris’ loss. I want them to,” she said. “It was my community that said, ‘If you commit genocide, we will hold you accountable for it.’“
The Trump team also did what Harris notably did not: show up in Dearborn.
Her campaign’s decision to ally with former Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney — a vocal Iraq War advocate — also alienated many Arabs.
Trump’s outreach, on the other hand, benefited from a new link to the community: Lebanese-American Michael Boulos, who is married to his daughter Tiffany Trump.
Boulos’ father Massad was a key emissary for the campaign.
Still, skepticism lingers.
While Trump struck a note of peace, he simultaneously touted his status as Israel’s strongest ally, even going so far as to promise Prime Minister Netanyahu he would “finish the job” against Hamas in Gaza.
“Yes, he said ‘finish the job,’ but when I inquired exactly what that means, I was told ‘stop the war,’” insisted Bishara Bahbah, chairman of Arab Americans for Trump.
“He’s said it, and he’ll do it. Trump has proven he does what he says.”