Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture has begun installing 1,350 km of water pipes across the capital city as part of the 'Green Riyadh' programme.
This comes as part of its efforts to carry 1.7 million cu m of treated water daily to irrigate 7.5 million trees in the city.
The aim is to achieve sustainable green spaces for the Green Riyadh projects and other development projects in the city, said a report.
The diameter of the primary pipes ranges from 1.2 to 2.4 m; secondary networks reach all Riyadh neighbourhoods.
Latest technologies and practices are being implemented to speed up work in the busy capital without affecting traffic in the city. Among those being adopted is control and monitoring of the water networks remotely.
A technical team comprising experts from government entities and the private sector has been set up to help expand work co-ordination and overcome obstacles and address issues related to the installation of water networks for irrigation, stated the report.
The Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, the Saudi Irrigation Organization, and the National Water Company will help share programmes and plans among the authorities concerned with public utilities.
One of the main enablers to achieve a Green Riyadh is building water networks based on the principle of sustainability by using 100% treated water for irrigation, at testing to the program's commitment to using renewable resources, it stated.
The water networks laid out as part of the Green Riyadh project will serve many megaprojects in the city, such as the Public Investment Fund, the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, the King Salman Park, the Sports Boulevard, and the King Abdulaziz Public Transport Project.
The Green Riyadh programme is one of Riyadh's four megaprojects launched by Saudi King Salman as an initiative of HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
Its goal is to plant more than 7.5 million trees in Riyadh city, increasing the green coverage of Riyadh to 9.1%, and increase the per capita share of green spaces from 1.7 sq m to 28 sq m, 16 times its current level, stated the report.
The programme also aims to improve the urban environment of the city of Riyadh through the greening of residential neighbourhoods, thus helping achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative of planting 10 billion trees nationwide in the coming decades, it added.
