120,000 trees to be planted in Yarmouk Forest Reserve — RSCN

AMMAN — The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) announced plans to plant 120,000 seeds of deciduous oak trees in Yarmouk Forest Reserve. 

These efforts come as part of the “Improvement of Green Infrastructure in Jordan through Labour-Intensive Measures” project, implemented in partnership with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Ministry of Environment and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation, according to a RSCN statement. 

Head of Yarmouk Forest Reserve Mohammed Malkawi said that the new project will provide jobs through the rehabilitation of 600-dunums of land. 

He noted that in 2021, a total of 30,000 seeds of deciduous oak trees were planted.

Hussam Awaidat, project manager, said that the project will provide four-month-long, temporary jobs for Jordanians and Syrian refugees.

Since 2018, the project has provided jobs for nearly 2,064 workers, with Syrian refugees constituting 50 per cent, while women constituted 20 per cent, Awaidat said. 

He noted the project is ongoing and will provide 450 job opportunities in Yarmouk Forest Reserve, Ajloun Forest and Fifa Nature Reserve, Azraq Wetland Reserve and Burqu Reserve.

Bilal Qtaishat, director of the nature protection directorate at the Environment Ministry, said that such projects seek to enhance the sustainability of biodiversity in the Kingdom. 

The projects also reinforce partnership with the local community, through providing youth with temporary job opportunities and also equipping them with green infrastructure skills, Qtaishat said in the statement.

They also aim to ease economic burden on local communities and engage all society members including Syrian refugees, he added.