The Jordanian Badia has suffered
significant degradation as a result of prolonged, heavy livestock grazing and a
lack of rain. In order to recover and preserve the grasslands for protracted
production, projects must collaborate with local communities on restoring
vegetation, while helping to lessen the vulnerability of livestock to drought
and other consequences of climate change.
اضافة اعلان
The Badia covers around 85 percent
of the Kingdom's total area, according to experts. More than 3,500 underground
wells and 90 million cubic meters of surface water are discharged annually into
the Badia. Important water basins include the Disi Basin, the Dead Sea Basin,
the Yarmouk Basin, the Zarqa Basin, and the Azraq Basin.
The region is additionally
characterized by mineral resources, including limestone, sand, silica, volcanic
sand, zircon, and phosphates, as well as basalt minerals, bentonite, chalk,
copper, diatomite, dolomite, gold, gypsum, kaolin, and oil shale — each of
which has several industrial applications.
Climate-related damages
There is no question that the Badia
region is being impacted by climate change. Rainfall patterns have altered
significantly over the past 30 years, with droughts occurring more frequently
and for longer periods of time. High and low temperatures have also changed
noticeably over time.
Since it has been overgrazed for so long, the majority of the Badia is severely damaged. Grazing animals find the vast majority of these locations to be unappealing, characterized by only barren soil and scarce flora.
Since it has been overgrazed for so
long, the majority of the Badia is severely damaged. Grazing animals find the
vast majority of these locations to be unappealing, characterized by only
barren soil and scarce flora. The already challenging desert existence for the
Bedouin people who inhabit this area thus becomes substantially worse.
Due to increasing desertification, sandstorms
are also becoming more frequent and can cause significant damage to plants.
These climate changes all aggravate issues that were already severe in the
Badia, such as water scarcity, desertification, and grazing degradation.
Grazing restrictions
The Badia is well known for farming
endeavors. The majority of its
agricultural crops are vegetables — primarily tomatoes — while sheep make up 85
percent of local livestock. The problem of desertification in the Badia has been
exacerbated by the shrinking of the vegetation cover due to the scarcity of
rain and overgrazing, which has caused pastures to recede.
Success depends on engagement, and for the management of natural resources to be feasible in the long run, communities must actively participate in decision-making and take full responsibility for the restoration and maintenance of the land.
Since so many people depend on the Badia's delicate
ecosystem, the government should impose grazing restrictions as one means of
addressing these issues. This is an example of the international policies
applied to diminish environmental degradation. Reseeding, planting, and resting
the land can also help to slow deterioration.
Community buy-in
Success depends on engagement, and for the management of
natural resources to be feasible in the long run, communities must
actively participate in decision-making and take full responsibility for the
restoration and maintenance of the land.
This means that it will be necessary to engage closely with
neighboring communities to assist them in setting up grazing committees that
delineate boundaries in accordance with recognized grazing rights.
Collectively, these committees can select appropriate areas for rehabilitation
as a supporting community.
Because of their extensive local knowledge of the soil types,
vegetation, and water availability, bedouin herders — the actual experts of the
land — are encouraged to collaborate with specialists to develop workable
management plans. These plans must specify where shepherds may pasture their
animals based on seasonal conditions, and how many sheep should graze in a
specific region at any particular moment. Furthermore, the committees that
establish the grazing laws should include women from the local communities.
Learning from the past
In order to maintain these pastures'
ability to support themselves, a fund must be set up. The money will be mainly
used for reserve management, which could involve yearly planting projects, and
small dairy factories.
The way to help the local communities adapt to climate change is rehabilitation, which should be combined with careful management to maintain the production of grazing land
The establishment of cooperative
agricultural associations was the main focus in the past. Unfortunately, these
associations suffered greatly from poor administration, a lack of transparency,
and, most importantly, institutional weakness. These flaws make it necessary to
employ a different approach. Tribal associations, for example, could be
employed to motivate efforts to advance agriculture, particularly best
practices in grazing.
The way to help the local communities
adapt to climate change is rehabilitation, which should be combined with
careful management to maintain the production of grazing land. It is also
important to regrow native plants that reestablish ecosystems, assist in the
provision of fodder, maintain livestock breeds that are adapted to extreme
drought, and sustain the soil by halting the motion of sands.
All these vital will increase
resilience and lessen the vulnerability of local communities in the Badia to
the consequences of climate instability.
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Jordan News
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