Beirut, Aug 30 (IANS): Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced on Friday that Lebanon has joined the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI), an effort led by Saudi Arabia to mitigate the impact of climate change on the region.

"This is an essential step for Lebanon, especially since our southern villages and towns have been exposed to significant environmental and agricultural damage due to Israeli attacks, which requires cooperation with all of Lebanon's friends to help deal with," a statement released by the Lebanese Council of Ministers quoted Mikati as saying.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan hailed Lebanon's participation in the initiative, confirming that a high committee has been established to ensure the project's sustainability and facilitate relevant cooperation, Xinhua news agency reported.

Launched by Saudi Arabia in 2021, MGI served as a regional platform for speeding up local green transition with a clear roadmap. It aims to restore 200 million hectares of degraded land, plant 50 billion trees, and increase the vegetation cover by 12 times in the region.