RSS, FAO Launch Land Restoration Project in Northern Jordan

Amman: The Royal Scientific Society (RSS), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), initiated Wednesday a project designed to achieve the goals of neutrality of degraded lands through restoration programs and sustainable land management in northern Jordan. The project, in the Mafraq Governorate, aims to implement measures for the preservation and sustainable management of lands, along with rehabilitating degraded areas to mitigate land neutrality. Governor Salman Najada of Mafraq emphasized the project's significance in supporting national efforts to reduce land degradation through sustainable land management practices and international best practices. He highlighted the challenges faced by Jordan concerning land degradation, including ownership fragmentation and reverse migration, alongside natural challenges. Najada underscored Mafraq Governorate's unique circumstances, characterized by its vast geographical area, widespread pastoral reserves, and population growth, all contrib uting to severe land degradation. He reaffirmed the governorate's commitment to supporting national projects to achieve sustainable development, transforming challenges into opportunities for socio-economic progress. Al-Muayyad Al-Sayed, Director of the Center for Water, Environment, and Climate Change at the Royal Scientific Society, outlined the project's four-year implementation plan across Irbid, Ajloun, and Mafraq Governorates, supported by the Global Environment Facility through FAO. He emphasized the project's goals to promote sustainable land use planning, preserve productive land resources, and enhance productivity to meet food demand. Hussein Al-Khalidi, Director of Mafraq Agriculture, highlighted the directorate's programs supporting farmers and livestock owners, crucial for sustainable agricultural development and food security. He emphasized alignment between the directorate's goals and the project objectives, positioning the directorate as a key partner in project implementation. Abdullah Kloub, project manager at the Royal Scientific Society, outlined the project's stages and the role of official and local authorities in achieving its goals. He highlighted the project's focus on enhancing forest agriculture productivity, monitoring land degradation using remote sensing technology, and empowering women in project activities. Kloub emphasized the project's interventions to address climate change and land degradation, including policy development and investment programs. Source: Jordan News Agency