FAO, RSS sign agreement promoting community forest fire engagement

AMMAN — The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Royal Scientific Society (RSS) on Tuesday signed a letter of agreement to support community engagement in integrated forest fire management.

This agreement falls under the activities of the “Enhancing the capacity of the forestry sector to control and manage forest fires in Jordan” project which addresses the country’s technical capacity needs and supports the Ministry of Agriculture / Forestry Department as well as the neighbouring communities in regard to forest fire management, according to a FAO statement.

FAO Representative in Jordan Nabil Assaf said: “This agreement is a continuation of FAO’s support to the Government of Jordan and to the agricultural sector in facing natural disasters and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), mainly SDG2- Zero Hunger, to eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition”. 

“Also, supporting national efforts to control forest fires and alleviate their effects is expected to improve the sector’s capacity and contribution to the national development process,” Assaf added.

Vice President and Executive Director of the Sustainable Solutions Sector at the RSS Rafat Assi stressed the role of local communities in dealing with and being aware of neighbouring forest fires.  

“The forest cover is limited, so it is essential to control forest fires in the Kingdom,” Assi said.

Moreover, the letter of agreement includes activities such as conducting awareness campaigns, developing community-based forest fire management initiatives, and investigating the potential of community-based traditional governance modalities in forest fire management as well as the legal issues related to such engagements. These activities will be implemented in the next five months.

Forest protection is a pillar of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15: “Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.”