AMMAN, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Ahmad Rababah, 30, is among a group of young people who launched the "countryside ambassadors for sustainable development" (CAFT) initiative to preserve environment in their hometown Ajloun, Jordan.
Though about 80 percent of the country's territory is made up of desert, the Ajloun region is covered in lush vegetation and thick green forests which is suitable for developing agriculture.
"In Ajloun, agriculture is the main source of residents' income, while the farmers use the traditional agricultural methods with a lot of water being wasted," Rababah told Xinhua on the occasion of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
"Therefore, we launched that initiative to transform the impoverished countryside into green communities," Rababah added.
Receiving supports from the local community and some international organizations, Rababah and his colleagues launched the CAFT initiative in July 2020, aiming to build several greenhouses and introduce modern irrigation techniques to the local community.
Noting that Jordan is one of the most water-scarce countries globally, Rababah said local agriculture faces several difficulties, most notably a lack of water for irrigation.
Besides, according to a recent statement by the Jordanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation, the last rainy season in Jordan, which ran from last October to the end of April, recorded less than 60 percent of the average annual precipitation, indicating a severe drought this summer.
"Every year, we encounter the potential challenge of higher levels of desertification and drought, which urged us, as youth with creative ideas, to search for modern methods in irrigation and agriculture," Rababah said.
"We introduced a Dutch-originated water-saving technique called Waterboxx, which we considered could be helpful for local farmers, as it reduces water consumption up to 90 percent compared to the traditional irrigation method," Rababah said.
Michael Schuring, the representative in Jordan of Dutch company Groasis, explained that its product of Waterboxx functions as a plant incubator by sheltering newly planted sapling while providing water, where the lid also collects water from rain and nighttime condensation.
In parallel, Rababah and his colleagues hold some training seminars for the local community, especially the young and women, to instruct the application of water-saving techniques and raise public awareness of sustainable rural development.
Stressing that the water-saving techniques also help farmers increase their income, Rababah expected the initiative could motivate more residents to embrace environmentally-friendly technology and methods.
"If the land is completely desertified, people would be forced to leave and find a new farming area. Thus, to develop sustainable agriculture is also to protect our green homes," Rababah said. Enditem