Stakeholders seek to improve green sites in Jordan

AMMAN — A project that aims to improve three green infrastructure sites and provide jobs to Jordanians and Syrian refugees kicked off on Monday at the Dibeen Forest Reserve, with the participation of the Ministry of Environment.

The project, titled “Improvement of the Green Infrastructure in Jordan through Labour-Intensive Measures”, is a partnership between the German International Cooperation (GIZ), the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), and is financed by the Government of Germany, according to a DRC statement. 

The partnership is looking at three sites in Jordan located in Irbid, Jerash, and Azraq, and will create more than 500 jobs divided between Jordanians and Syrian refugees. 

“There are many sectors that are affected by the influx of Syrian refugees in Jordan, especially the environmental and agricultural sectors, in terms of increased waste, lower air quality, the need for more green spaces and more livelihood opportunities for both Syrians and Jordanians,” Yassin Al Fawaeer, a representative from the Ministry of Environment, was quoted in the statement as saying.

Jordan now hosts more than 655,000 Syrian refugees, according to the UNHCR, most of whom have been in the country since 2011.

“We believe that this is a great model for implementing humanitarian action in Jordan, where a partnership looks at both the needs in the country and helps refugees earn a livelihood,” Ermes Frigerio, DRC Jordan country director, said in the statement.

“We are not only implementing a project, but this is a chance for us to create accessible public spaces, create jobs, ensure biodiversity, and make sure we use the ecosystem in the best way possible,” Khaled Al Anani from GIZ was quoted in the statement as saying.

“The project aims to reorganise the facilities of the forest and, at the same time, support the host community through hiring people and providing them with jobs. The project aims to hire Jordanians and Syrians living in the host community of Dibeen area and also ensure that women have a chance at a working opportunity. The project will provide women with 20 per cent of the job opportunities that we will offer during the implementation phase,” Yahya Khaled, general director of the RSCN, said in the statement.