AMMAN — The
Ministry of Environment has announced the launch of the National
Afforestation Project, which involves planting 10 million trees across the
Kingdom as part of a 10-year plan that aims to increase the vegetation cover,
reduce carbon emissions, combat desertification, and preserve
biodiversity.
اضافة اعلان
The project, according to the ministry’s
director of Nature Protection Department, Belal Qteishat, will provide
permanent work opportunities for the local communities in the afforestation
areas, create small projects, and provide bodies of water in the Badia and
desert areas to facilitate basic services to visitors.
The project will be
based on studies and scientific analyses to identify the targeted geographical
areas that will be planted and determine the types of trees suitable for each
geographical location, the rain map, as well as the needs of the ecosystems and
local communities, Qteishat said. He
added that the project involves planting some 127,000 dunums that are available
for afforestation across the Kingdom, in addition to increasing the number of
trees in existing forests.
In cooperation with the
Ministry of Agriculture,
the Ministry of Industry will work on developing nurseries to grow trees that
are suitable for the nature of the targeted ecosystems.
As part of the project, Qteishat said a
work team will carry out a social campaign to support proper behavior towards
forests and address negative habits that lead some individuals to cause harm to
forest areas.
Environmental
expert Hussein Keswani praised the project as an effective contribution by
Jordan to global efforts in combating climate change, adding that the
initiative also provides numerous economic benefits, enhances tourism, and
serves the local communities. He also
noted the benefits of plantation to underground water. “Planting trees could
help improve the quality of underground water,” he said.
Keswani called for raising awareness
among local communities of the important impact of forests for the ecosystem
and strengthening partnerships with locals as a key factor for the success and
sustainability of the project.
Safaa Jayousi, a climate change expert,
said that the afforestation project will help Jordan meet its commitments
towards the
Paris Climate Accords, aimed at mitigating the effects of climate
change.
Jayuosi stressed the importance of
protecting existing trees from violations such as illegal logging and uprooting
for construction purposes.
His Majesty
King Abdullah last week
visited the “Roots Project”, which was launched in Al-Qasr area in Karak
Governorate in 2012 to increase the green cover.
During the visit, His Majesty noted that
it is everyone’s duty to protect forests and preserve the ecosystem, calling
for the expansion of forests and the cultivation of species appropriate to the
Kingdom’s environment.
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