Karak, Feb 28 (Petra) – Chief of the Royal Court Yousef Issawi, head of the committee to follow up on implementation of royal initiatives, on Saturday checked on progress of the fourth phase of the "Roots" project expansion in Al-Sunayna of Al-Qasr district in the Karak Governorate.
Roots, launched in 2012 as one of the key Royal Initiative's afforestation and greening projects, aims to plant more than one million forest and fruit trees.
Issawi was briefed on implementation plans, approved agricultural practices, and water resource management methods to ensure the project's sustainability.
He was joined on the tour by Minister of Agriculture Saeb Khraisat, Minister of Environment Ayman Suleiman, Governor of Karak Qablan Al-Sharif, Country Director of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) Lorenz Petersen, and other officials.
The fourth phase will see 3,200 dunams planted with 160,000 forest trees and 13,000 olive trees, bringing the total number of trees in the project to over one million.
The expansion includes the installation of irrigation networks and the construction of gabions (rock-filled wire cages) and riprap (loose, large stones) along wadis and culverts to curb soil erosion.
The project will create more than 400 job opportunities for the local community and Syrian refugees.
The fourth phase is implemented with support from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), in partnership with Al-Haq Foundation and World Vision, under the supervision of the Royal Initiatives Implementation department at the Royal Court.
Issawi said Roots project is a practical embodiment of the Royal vision to expand green spaces and enhance the environment, adding that it establishes a development approach based on the integration of environmental, economic, and social dimensions.
Planting one million forest and fruit trees, he said, is a sustainable institutional work and effective partnership between national institutions and supporting entities that helps local communities and provides job opportunities.
Issawi inspected the Roots (1) site and joined in planting olive trees, practically demonstrating the importance of the project in environmental and national terms.
//Petra//SS
