Riyadh: The National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) has completed a significant step in its fight against desertification: the first phase of a project to assess the state of land degradation across the Kingdom, which resulted in the creation of 246 detailed maps. These maps provide valuable insight into desertification trends and the current state of land degradation in different regions. NCVC teams conducted extensive field surveys, research, and studies to better understand the process of desertification and land degradation, and identify effective strategies to combat them. The project combined cutting-edge technologies and traditional methods. Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing techniques, and field surveys were employed to gather data. Fieldwork included collecting soil samples for analysis, studying plant life at designated sites, and analyzing satellite imagery. NCVC has launched the second phase of the project, starting in Riyadh Region, d uring which it will focus on identifying areas most vulnerable to desertification (hotspots), classifying the causes and types of land degradation, and conducting further field surveys to gather even more detailed data. Source: Saudi Press Agency