AMMAN — Amid escalating climate change threats and
wildfires, both natural and man-made, Jordan has embarked on a rigorous
scientific and strategic approach to restore its ecological balance, Jordan
News Agency, Petra reported.
اضافة اعلان
Central to this initiative is the Ministry of Agriculture's
program that facilitates the annual growth of 3 million forest trees.
Remarkably, these are distributed without charge. In instances of fire damage,
affected regions are cordoned off, permitting natural rejuvenation. This method
has proven effective in forests like Ajloun and Jerash. Elsewhere, manual reforestation
is undertaken.
State-of-the-art technological tools, paired with vigilant
human monitoring from observation towers spread across the kingdom, play a
crucial role in forest conservation. Artificial intelligence, in particular,
has revolutionized the nation's capacity to combat wildfires, optimizing rescue
missions with unparalleled efficiency.
1 percent coverage
Khaled Qudah, the deputy chief for forestry and pastures at
the Ministry of Agriculture, detailed that Jordan's forested area spans
approximately 1.67 million dunums, with only 880,000 dunums covered by trees.
This mere 1 percent coverage is significantly less than international
benchmarks, emphasizing an urgent call for preservation and expansion in
congruence with the Ministry's forestry vision.
The Ministry is committed to cultivating arable lands. To
put this into perspective, of the total forested areas in Jordan, half are
naturally occurring, while the remaining have been cultivated by the Ministry.
Mitigating threats
The Ministry has also unveiled a comprehensive plan to
mitigate fires and other threats.
Two noteworthy initiatives include the winter protection
scheme to curtail logging-related aggression and a summer contingency strategy
to manage peak fire seasons. This proactive approach involves collaboration
with several partners, notably the Civil Defense Directorate.
To facilitate rapid response to emergencies, agricultural
units equipped with forestry sections, coupled with both stationary and mobile
inspection units, are strategically positioned across all regions.
Underscoring the vital role of local communities, Qudah
highlighted their intrinsic connection to the forests. The benefits they reap,
ranging from livestock grazing to firewood collection, make them indispensable
allies in forest protection. He also mentioned that while many fires arise from
unintentional negligence, the exacerbating effects of climate change, particularly
heatwaves, significantly amplify the risk and challenge of fire containment.
Jordan's sustainable agricultural vision
Recent data reveals a heartening decrease in forest fires -
down to 190 in 2022 from 500 the previous year. The richness of Jordan's
forests, with species like Aleppo pine, eucalyptus, and oak, is a testament to
their ecological significance. The Ministry's ongoing endeavors include the
cultivation of over 60 forest and pastoral tree species, producing 3 million
saplings annually for distribution.
Jordan's sustainable agricultural vision is manifesting in
projects like the 150 km afforestation drive along the desert road and the
afforestation of the Qatraneh region utilizing treated water. There's also an
emphasis on innovative technologies, such as the "cocoon" technology
from the Netherlands that optimizes water use and introduces a novel
fertilization method.
A collaboration with the Arab Potash Company and the Royal
Society for the Conservation of Nature will localize and refine this technology
for the Middle Eastern context. With a collective funding of JD640,000, the
intent is to manufacture and commercialize this technology locally and
regionally.
This initiative aligns seamlessly with the Prime Ministry's
recently endorsed goal of planting ten million saplings over the upcoming
decade. As the chief steward of Jordan's forests, the Ministry of Agriculture
is leading this drive, collaborating with various stakeholders to actualize
this vision.
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