Ministries of environment, agriculture and partners join hands to increase Kingdom’s green cover
By Maram Kayed – Feb 06,2020
AMMAN — Ten million forest trees are to be planted over the next 10 years all over the Kingdom as part of a national afforestation project implemented by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture.
In a celebration of Tree Day, marked in Bereen on Wednesday, Minister of Environment Saleh Kharabsheh said that “caring for and preserving trees is a national duty imposed by loyalty to Jordan and its leadership, the latter of which is is keen on protecting the environment and increasing green areas in all governorates”.
The Ministry of Agriculture and a number of partners who expressed their willingness to cooperate and provide the necessary support for the success of this project affirmed the importance of preserving trees and green spaces by issuing legislation to protect them as “national wealth”.
“Establishing continual plans and programmes and providing all the necessary capacities to increase green areas is something that the ministry is prepared to do. A plan to proceed with the implementation of agricultural projects and the expansion of forest plantations is the basic pillar of sustainable development,” said Minister of Agriculture Ibrahim Shahahdeh in a separate statement.
The minister also called the project “an important and effective element in preserving the environment and an optimal solution to confront climate change”.
The current risks to forest wealth as a result of fires and cutting down trees for heating purposes were addressed, with the government’s decision to consider felling a tree as a national security offence praised.
The celebration was an opportunity to stress the necessity of cooperation between various official and popular bodies, focusing on spreading awareness about increasing green cover.
During the ceremony, 250 forest and fruitful trees were planted by school students in the presence of the President of the Jordanian Society for Desertification Control and Badia Development and the Director of the Royal Department for Environmental Protection.
http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/greening-mission-see-planting-10-million-trees-coming-decade