By : JD
Jordan Daily – Ministry of Environment and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have signed an agreement to promote the cultivation of local species in an effort to mitigate the effects of climate change and protect biodiversity.
The agreement was signed by Dr. Muawieh Radaideh, Minister of Environment, and Eng. Nabil Assaf, FAO Representative in Jordan, in the presence of Dr. Abdulhakim Elwaer, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa.
The project aims to increase the density of forest trees planted with indigenous and economically beneficial species. It supports the initiative to plant ten million trees within ten years, contributing to climate change mitigation, biodiversity protection, and land degradation reduction in Jordan.
“The project enhances the concept of economic benefits derived from forests and increases benefits for those living adjacent to forests, which contributes to their involvement in protecting forest wealth,” said Dr. Radaideh.
Eng. Assaf noted that intense market competition has limited opportunities to benefit from forest products containing original species of economic value. “This project will enhance biodiversity protection, increase biological system services, and raise the level of conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services in agricultural activities,” he said.
The project, fully funded by the FAO, will commence in May 2024 and run until December 2024. It will be implemented in selected sites in the northern and central parts of Jordan, with technical support from the FAO in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture.
Local communities will be trained to use and market products derived from forests and indigenous species. The project will also encourage the involvement of youth and women in these opportunities.
