15 violations of water regulations recorded in Mecca and Jeddah: Intensive monitoring campaigns

The Makkah branch of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, represented by the Water Department, announced that its inspection teams successfully detected 15 violations of water regulations. This was part of an intensive campaign that included 85 field inspection tours covering various parts of Makkah and Jeddah. These field operations are part of the Ministry's rigorous strategy to monitor water resource usage activities, with a particular focus on protecting groundwater from over-exploitation.

Details of inspection tours and regulatory procedures

Engineer Waleed Al-Daghis, Director General of the Ministry's branch in the Makkah region, explained that the field teams focused their inspections on monitoring violations related to water source licenses and their usage. Al-Daghis emphasized that the identified violations were dealt with immediately, and the necessary legal procedures were applied to the violators in accordance with the regulations and executive bylaws adopted in the Kingdom. He stressed that these inspections are not temporary campaigns but rather an ongoing effort to ensure full compliance.

The context of the water system and its strategic importance

This regulatory effort is an implementation of the comprehensive water system adopted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which aims to preserve, develop, protect, and ensure the sustainability of water resources, as well as manage and regulate water affairs and related rights. This system is a cornerstone of the environmental legislative framework, prohibiting any well drilling, deepening, or cleaning without a valid permit, thus curbing unregulated drilling that threatens the Kingdom's strategic water reserves.

Water security and the Kingdom's Vision 2030

These efforts gain added significance when viewed through the lens of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which places environmental sustainability and water security at the heart of its priorities. Given its geographical location and desert climate, the Kingdom faces natural challenges related to the scarcity of fresh water. Therefore, preserving groundwater (a non-renewable resource) is not merely an administrative measure, but a pressing national imperative to guarantee future generations' right to natural resources. Through these initiatives, the Ministry aims to raise public awareness that water is a national treasure that must be used wisely and protected from waste and pollution.

Negative effects of water violations

Violations of water regulations, particularly unlicensed drilling, cause serious damage that extends beyond legal concerns. They lead to the depletion of aquifers and the intrusion of saltwater into freshwater sources, degrading water quality and rendering it unsuitable for agricultural or human consumption. Furthermore, excessive water use negatively impacts the region's ecological balance. This underscores the crucial role of the Ministry's oversight in controlling these practices, as it strives to achieve the optimal use of water resources to serve the public interest and support sustainable development in the Makkah and Jeddah regions, which are experiencing high population density and rapid urban growth.