NCEC: Over 23 Million Square Meters Surveyed to Detect Environmental Violations in Wadi Hanifah

 The National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC) announced the completion of field surveys across 11 sites covering more than 23 million square meters in areas surrounding Wadi Hanifah in Riyadh. The surveys are part of a nationwide environmental monitoring campaign targeting more than 35 valleys across all regions of the Kingdom, with the aim of protecting aquatic environments and enhancing the effectiveness of environmental oversight of valleys.
 Executive Director of Regional Operations Adel Al-Ghamdi stated that the surveys identified several environmentally degraded sites, including illegal dumping areas, degraded water outfalls, and water collection and drainage sites. Municipal waste, construction waste, and demolition debris were also detected at several of the surveyed locations.
 Al-Ghamdi emphasized that the center is working to verify the sources of these violations and identify those responsible, in preparation for taking the necessary regulatory action and requiring them to remediate the environmental impacts and rehabilitate the affected sites in accordance with approved requirements and standards. The center will also follow up on remediation efforts to ensure that the sources of pollution are eliminated and to reduce the risk of recurrence.
 He further explained that the field surveys were based on a three-year baseline beginning in 2022, developed using geospatial analysis and satellite imagery, as well as surface and groundwater flow modeling and artificial intelligence applications. These tools help improve the accuracy of detecting environmental changes and identifying sites affected by environmental violations.
 Al-Ghamdi also noted that the valley survey plan is designed to establish an integrated database of affected sites and pollution sources and to set monitoring priorities based on data analysis and satellite imagery. The plan targets key environmental violations, including pollutant discharges, waste accumulation, encroachment on valley channels, and activities that may adversely affect water and soil quality.