Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions a top priority -- Irani
Jordan Times
June 6, 2007
Hana Namrouqa
AMMAN -- Jordan will continue implementing programmes and projects seeking to address environmental hotspots in the country, Minister of Environment Khalid Irani said on Tuesday in a statement marking World Environment Day (WED).
Celebrated annually on June 5, WED is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action.
This year's celebration is organised under the theme "Melting Ice -- a Hot Topic?" in support of International Polar Year, according to the World Environment Day website.
In this regard, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that are responsible for climate change top the ministry's priorities.
A biogas project in Ruseifa, established by the ministry along with other stakeholders, is expected to reduce 1.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, while the Aqaba Thermal Power Station and Al Samra Plant will use gas instead of heavy fuel to generate electricity.
"Jordan is not one of the countries producing greenhouse gases, as it only contributes to less than 1.0 per cent of greenhouse emissions, yet it is exposed to the dangers of climate change," Irani said.
Climate change is a concept referring to the variation in the earth's global climate or in regional climates over time. It describes changes in the variability or average state of the atmosphere over time-scales ranging from decades to millions of years.
So far, climate change has caused a 30 per cent reduction in the country's surface water resources,
Irani said, as well as a decrease in the volume of rainfall and agricultural production, which are pillars the country and the Arab world heavily rely on.
He pointed out that the increase in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide is a result of human activities.
In 1992, Jordan along with 189 other countries became party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which seeks to come up with plans to reduce global warming and to cope with whatever temperature increases are inevitable.
By signing the agreement, Jordan benefited from the protocol's clean development mechanism, which allows industrialised countries with a greenhouse gas reduction commitment to invest in emission-reducing projects in developing countries.
The ministry also initiated several projects to address environmental hotspots, such as the Zarqa River, which is severely polluted due to wastewater leakage, nearby factories, car wash stations, flooding manholes and sewer systems.
A plant for treating industrial wastewater generated from factories will be established along its banks, the ministry announced recently, and a manifest system will be implemented to limit random dumping of wastewater into the river in a bid to limit the negative impact of industries on humans and the surrounding environment.
Zarqa Governorate houses 52 per cent of the Kingdom's industrial plants. In addition, the ministry will establish a new wastewater treatment plant in Irbid Governorate to address environmental and health problems resulting from the Ikeider holding area, where sewage from Al Hassan Industrial Estate is channelled.
In the transport sector, the ministry announced it would reduce the use of leaded petrol by 70 per cent this year, in preparation for a complete shift to unleaded petrol by the beginning of next year.
The county is shifting to unleaded fuel because short-term exposure to high levels of lead can result in brain and kidney damage, while chronic exposure could affect the blood and central nervous systems, blood pressure, kidneys and the body's ability to metabolise vitamin D.
Highlighting the significance of cooperation between the economy and environment sectors, Irani said the success of conservation efforts depends on integrating environmental considerations with the policy-making process.