40 set to walk from Balqa to Aqaba to raise climate change awareness

AMMAN — Forty young men and women on Thursday embarked on a march to cross more than half of the country on foot to raise public awareness of climate change.

The environmental activists started their trip from Jalaad in Balqa Governorate on Thursday noon and are scheduled to reach Aqaba on Monday.

Organised by the Green Generation Foundation, the march seeks to attract people’s attention to the issue of climate change and its cross-sectoral effects.

“Over the course of five days, the activists whose ages range around 25 years, will travel 350 kilometres from Balqa Governorate in the north to Aqaba in the south of the Kingdom,” President of the Green Generation Foundation Dheaya Rousan told The Jordan Times over the phone.

In their march, the youngsters will pass by “fragile environmental sites and systems” to shed light and raise awareness on the challenges and threats facing the Kingdom’s environment.

“They will pass by several nature reserves, such as the Mujib Biosphere Reserve and Dana Biosphere Reserve,” Rousan said.

The march seeks to build awareness of climate change, Rousan said, underlining that there is a lack of knowledge among people regarding the meaning of climate change and how it is affecting countries like Jordan.

“The march also seeks to remind people of the importance of leading healthy lives and to encourage them to walk more,” Rousan added.

In addition to attracting people’s attention to environmental issues, volunteers also seek to encourage eco-tourism in Jordan, which is home to several internationally recognised nature reserves, he stated.

Rousan noted that the march is organised in cooperation with several governmental agencies, adding that a professional hiking group will be accompanying the marchers to ensure their safety.

Set up in 2011, the non-profit organisation advocates for the preservation of the environment through various activities and events.

The Green Generation Foundation aims to foster a “new green generation” to help solve environmental and climate issues through various activities and projects, according to its website.