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Restoring the ecosystem through a municipal nursery in Karak municipality, Jordan
Overview
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.
Background
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.
Objectives
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.
Activities
- Developing a proposal that utilizes synergies between renewable energy technology and efficiency, water management, and food security.
- Designing the nursery that consists of four main zones: two zones are green plastic houses, a shading house and a polycarbonate green house.
- Installing a water pump that is powered by solar energy
- Through a cooperation with National Agricultural Research Center, municipal staff have received technical trainings to improve their know-how on agricultural practices.
- Signing of a Memorandum of Understandings with local Civil Society Organsiations to grant them some of the offshoots and conduct trainings on sustainable agriculture methods for the local community.
Effects
- More than 6000 seedlings were produced to date, whereby the nursery will produce 100,000 seedlings at its full capacity. It should be mentioned, the productivity of the nursery was affected by the COVID-19 crisis, leading to a delay in the project’s progress. At an advanced stage, seedlings can be produced and sold to the local community.
- Improving technical capacity of municipal personnel on sustainable agricultural practices
- The indirect beneficiaries of the project are the local community residing within the municipality. Some members of the local community have also benefited from the trainings and short-term job opportunities in the nursery. Gender-balance was maintained in the selection of the direct beneficiaries, and the trainings resulted in enhancing their skills and improved their know-how in agricultural practices. It is worth mentioning that the training was funded by the GIZ Cash-for-Work Project. Nevertheless, this mode of employment posed also the challenge of retaining know-how within the team involved in the planting activities.
Conclusions
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.
Further information
Kultivierung in semi-arider Umgebung - der Urban Gardening Workshop
Pilot Projects in Greater Karak Municipality
Published: 17/05/2022
Contact
Ms. Sajeda Ar-Rahayfeh,
Municipality of Al-Karak, Jordan
sajedacivil(at)hotmail.com
Mr. Mohammad Suheimat,
Municipality of Al-Karak
suhaimat89(at)yahoo.com
Images
Categories:
Integrated urban development
Energy efficiency and renewable energy
Public space
City and biodiversity
Cities and climate change
Regions:
Middle East
Jordan
Karak
