AMMAN — Since the beginning of the new
millennium, lifestyle in
Petra region has changed dramatically: green spaces
have shrunk, the number of livestock breeders has decreased, and the dangers
that threaten urban areas have increased due to climate change.
اضافة اعلان
A recent report published by Al-Rai daily stated
that in the Petra region, the seasonal rainfall rate, according to
Meteorological Department data, is about 172.4 mm, at a time when the region
needs a more abundant rainfall in order to overcome the challenges posed by
climate change.
Petra resident Ahmed Al-Hasanat said that many
medicinal, aromatic and seasonal plants that were prevalent in the area, as
well as in residential neighborhoods, disappeared years ago, as it rained much
less than before.
As a result, many have refrained from raising
livestock and seasonal crops, and the lifestyle in the area has changed
dramatically as people abandon farming and look for professions and sectors
where they earn a better income, Hasanat said.
Professor of geology at
Al-Hussein Bin Talal University Mohammad Al-Farajat concurred that climate change has led to a
transformation of people’s lifestyle, turning them from farming to work in
trade, tourism and other professions. He pointed out that climate change has
threatened the intangible cultural heritage, as practices have changed in
various activities and aspects of life, which has led to the loss of inherited
cultural practices and interest in agriculture, livestock raising and relying
on themselves for food.
He added that climate change has affected the
archaeological facade of the Petra Treasury by accelerating the process of
erosion, and is responsible for the loss of green cover, which forms the lung
that enables Wadi Musa residents to breathe.
Farajat also said
that climate change increases the possibility of more serious natural
disasters, such as floods and landslides.
The Petra Tourism Development Region Authority,
represented by the Local Community Development and Environment Commission,
holds regular meetings and workshops that discuss the challenges posed by
climate change and how to deal with them, foremost by preserving the practice
of some local activities, such as agriculture.
The authority carried out several activities to
address the issue, like restoring agricultural life in the Al-Bayda region, by
motivating citizens to plant thousands of trees, as part of a project of
adaptation to climate change, which was implemented by the Petra Green
Agricultural Association with the support of the Global Adaptation Fund, and in
cooperation with the Ministry of Planning.
The head of the association, Muhammad Al-Amarin,
said: “We have stood up to climate change, and transformed large areas of
barren lands to green zones, by relying on treated sewage water, which proved
its feasibility and suitability in the planting of different crops.
“Rainwater can be replaced with other sources to
meet the challenges of climate change.”
The authority is also seeking to build several dams
to collect rainwater, and use it for agriculture, and to preserve biodiversity,
in addition to other projects executed by the region’s communities and work on
the archaeological site.
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