The impact that The Line megacity in Neom could have on birds has been named among the most pressing conservation issues for 2024.
Planned for nine million people, the planned city in Saudi Arabia was highlighted in the Trends in Evolution & Ecology journal as one of 15 key issues of concern for global biodiversity conservation in 2024.
"It is likely to pose a substantial risk"
In the piece, titled "A horizon scan of global biological conservation issues for 2024", the journal pointed to the scale of The Line along with its planned mirrored facades as a risk to migratory bird species. "Although marketed as being sustainable, its dimensions (500 metres high, 200 metres wide, and 170 kilometres long), design (including mirrored facades and, potentially, roof-top wind turbines), and east?west orientation at the head of the Red Sea mean it is likely to pose a substantial risk to migratory species, particularly passerine birds."
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