Evaluating the Protection of Biodiversity and Environmental Resources under Saudi Environmental Law in Light of the Convention on Biological Diversity

Authors

  • Mohammed Yahya Abobaker

    Department of Public Law, College of Law, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v8i4.13627
Received: 9 June 2026 | Revised: 3 August 2026 | Accepted: 10 August 2026 | Published Online: 28 August 2026

Abstract

In light of the significant rate at which global biodiversity is declining, the necessity of reinforcing the legal frameworks for transferring international environmental commitments into practical national mechanisms has become pressing. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) serves as the international umbrella for biodiversity protection. Moreover, the effective application of the CBD is conditioned by the incorporation of its principles into domestic legislation. The purpose of this study was to verify the applicability of the CBD's preventive principles outlined in Article 14 to Saudi Environmental Law, especially Articles 6, 7, and 8 thereof, and to compare and correlate these two international and national systems. A doctrinal comparative legal analysis was undertaken to compare and correlate Article 14 of the CBD with the corresponding provisions of the Saudi Environmental Law through the application of analytical criteria for legal harmonization, consisting of preventive regulation, environmental risk management, resource governance, compliance enforcement systems, monitoring, accountability, and remediation of environmental harm. It has been concluded that there is a high degree of alignment between the CBD and Saudi Environmental Law; Article 14 of the CBD provides general procedural rules for preserving biodiversity, whereas Saudi Environmental Law Articles 6, 7, and 8 embody these principles in enforcement-oriented mechanisms. Finally, the paper recommends the internationalization of biodiversity governance and provides some recommendations for experience exchange on effective legislative practices. The study also advocates empirical research for further assessment of effective implementation and measurable biodiversity conservation outcomes.

Keywords:

Biodiversity Conservation; Environmental Governance; Saudi Environmental Law; Convention on Biological Diversity; Sustainability

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How to Cite

Yahya Abobaker, M. (2026). Evaluating the Protection of Biodiversity and Environmental Resources under Saudi Environmental Law in Light of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Research in Ecology, 8(4), 359–370. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v8i4.13627

Issue

Vol.8, Iss.4 (August 2026)

Article Type

Article

License

Copyright © 2026 Mohammed Yahya Abobaker

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

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