To address environmental challenges related to the loss of native species as well as the increasing CO2 emissions due to urbanisation, Karak municipality in Jordan constructed a nursery that aims at growing trees from native species. Besides demonstrating environmental protection and the transition into renewable energy sources, the project will have an economic impact resulting from the savings in the municipal budget as well as job creation for the local community.
Karak municipality has a primitive and deteriorated nursery that doesn’t fulfill the municipality’s needs of growing trees from native species. The municipality thus spends $120,000-$150,000 annually on purchasing trees for the purpose of minimizing and preventing hillside erosion. Despite the availability of vacant land, the municipality has not allocated land for urban gardening or for green spaces. Nevertheless, Karak municipality has an outstanding experience in implementing renewable energy projects. Therefore, it was selected to benefit from the Minaret project that aims at addressing the unique sustainability challenges and opportunities of the MENA region by increasing local and regional sustainability capacities using the synergies between renewable energy technology and efficiency, water management, and food security. With this support, Karak municipality constructed a nursery with a 440 m2 plastic house and more than 1000 mother plants.
The main objective behind the project is to contribute to the municipalities commitment as part of its Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP). The construction of the nursery will contribute to increasing greenery as a means for mitigation of climate change and environmental degradation.
Furthermore, promoting citizen engagement is another objective that municipality is fulfilling by offering trainings and paid internships for members from the local community on agriculture practices, including members of the host community and refugees.
The nursery project has several positive impacts on the local community through job creation, improving skills in agricultural practices, and enhancing the social cohesion among residents of this agricultural community. It is expected that the projects’ long-term impacts will include annual savings of 85000 USD from the municipal budget as well as the reduction of CO2 emissions and the preservation of native species. It is also envisioned that the project activities will include urban gardening activities to produce edible plants that will in return assist in enhancing food security in the municipality.
Kultivierung in semi-arider Umgebung - der Urban Gardening Workshop
Pilot Projects in Greater Karak Municipality
Published: 17/05/2022
Ms. Sajeda Ar-Rahayfeh,
Municipality of Al-Karak, Jordan
sajedacivil(at)hotmail.com
Mr. Mohammad Suheimat,
Municipality of Al-Karak
suhaimat89(at)yahoo.com