Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) Mayor Dr. Yousef Shawarbeh on Tuesday inaugurated its Urban Farming Training Centre in the capital's Muqablin area. Funded by the Japanese government, the center comes in cooperation between the GAM and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Jordan, as part of the activities of the the Sustainable Urban Farming Project in Amman, and implemented by the UNDP and the municipality. Speaking at the launching ceremony, Shawarbeh said urban agriculture is one of the "qualitative" projects that the GAM seeks to expand its use and increase the resilience of the city and its residents, amid climate change and its negative effects on many vital sectors. Shawarbeh added that the GAM seeks to preserve the capital's natural heritage and agricultural areas and increase green spaces, adding that the municiaplity will soon work on a project to encourage gardening and increase fruit trees, in cooperation with the UNDP and the local community. Shawarbeh valued role of the Japanes e government and the UNDP in supporting and "effectively" implementing the activities of the Sustainable Urban Farming Project, indicating that its outcomes contributed to reviving the concept of urban agriculture and gardening within Amman's urban scope. For his part, the Japanese Ambassador to Jordan, Okuyama Jiro, expressed his happiness to see the project's impact on "effectively" contributing to Amman's economic development and enhancing its resilience to climate change shocks. Jiro said: "We envision a future with more green spaces, which will play a crucial role in enhancing food security and promoting environmental sustainability." For her part, UNDP Resident Representative, Randa Abu Hassan, thanked the Japanese government for supporting the project that enhances food security for Amman's people. Furthermore, she noted role of the training center in promoting and encouraging "modern" urban agriculture methods and tools, which contributes to enhance food security in Amman. She also called for ben efiting from the outcomes of the various projects implemented by the UNDP, in partnership with the GAM and executing them in other Jordanian cities to enhance climate action and increase resilience in the Kingdom. Source: Jordan News Agency
