The First International Conference on Applied Environmental Sciences (ICAES 2024) concluded today, February 8, at the College of Applied Sciences in Muhail Asir, with a number of recommendations to promote environmental awareness and adopt Saudi Vision 2030 in the field of ecosystems.

His Excellency, the President of King Khalid University, Prof. Faleh bin Rajallah Al-Solami, expressed his contentment with the outcomes of the conference, which included recommendations: (commitment to reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gases to reach net zero, take effective measures to protect ecosystems, encourage investment in renewable energy infrastructure, develop green technology, promote waste recycling and reduction initiatives, and improve solid and hazardous waste management).

The conference also recommended,

1. Encouraging innovation and use of green technology in reducing environmental impact.
2. Encouraging governments and international organizations to cooperate to address global environmental challenges.
3. Integrating applied sciences by directing joint research to develop and produce immune defenses capable of protecting society from diseases and epidemics.
4. Promoting integration between mathematics and computing sciences in various research fields.
5. Supporting research development and innovation in the field of artificial intelligence and its applications by launching educational programs.
6. Working to train and qualify the workforce in the field of applied environmental sciences.
7. Increasing community awareness of environmental issues through environmental education, media, and public awareness campaigns.

The conference was held over two days, and was attended by more than 1,000 people. It included scientific sessions and lectures on various topics in the field of environmental and biological sciences, chemical applications in preventing environmental risks, advanced nanomaterials in environmental applications, and computing and the smart environment. An accompanying exhibition which featured 26 diverse papers, with the participation of six international researchers from the United Kingdom, Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Pakistan, and Yemen. The international conference included 47 research papers and 21 lectures in 6 scientific sessions.

The conference was held to raise environmental awareness, in line with Saudi Vision 2030. The conference focused on environmental awareness and finding solutions through specialized research on air, water, and food pollution, noise and radiation pollution, microbial and viral infections, environmental toxins, occupational health and safety, hazardous waste and environmental health. The conference also aimed to contribute to solving some of the challenges of urban and industrial development witnessed by the Kingdom today.