Agriculture Ministry launches project to plant 10 million trees

AMMAN — Minister of Environment and Acting Minister of Agriculture Saleh Kharabsheh on Wednesday launched a national afforestation project to plant 10 million trees to increase vegetation in the Kingdom.

In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Kharabsheh said that the project “will enable Jordan to live up to its international obligations”, including reducing carbon emissions, combatting desertification, protecting biodiversity, cutting carbon dioxide and preserving natural capital, a key principle of the Environment Ministry’s green growth approach, which aims to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development.

The project, he added, will also rebalance the ecosystem by increasing vegetation, which has been noticeably affected due to trespassing on forests, natural degradation of forests, climate change and rainfall pattern and pests.

The national afforestation project will help local communities by creating job opportunities and establishing catchment areas in the desert to provide basic services for visitors, Petra said.