Ad-Darbasiyah heads to afforestation to combat desertification

For decades, the Jazira Canton in North and East Syria has suffered devastating environmental impacts as a result of the centralized policies pursued by the Ba'athist regime. The regime imposed a unilateral agricultural model on the region's population, restricting the cultivation of grains and cotton, leading to a decline in biodiversity and a weakening of agricultural production. Afforestation was also suppressed, and the cultivation of fruit and ornamental trees was prohibited, contributing to the deterioration of the green cover.

At the same time, global capitalism, with its consumerist policies and greedy approach to natural resources, has played an additional role in exacerbating environmental disasters. The need for sustainable alternatives has become more urgent than ever, especially in the agricultural areas of North and East Syria.

Green Projects: A Dual Focus on the Environment and the Economy

In this context, the Economic Council in the city of Ad-Darbasiyah in Jazira Canton launched a series of projects based on ecological agriculture and clean energy. The council currently oversees three farms and a nursery containing thousands of fruit trees, such as olives, figs, pomegranates, and grapes, in addition to ornamental and shade trees and roses, as part of a plan with a dual economic and environmental focus.

The agricultural wells used in these projects have been equipped with solar energy systems, in addition to the adoption of drip irrigation techniques to reduce water waste and achieve efficient resource consumption.

Afforestation is the solution to combat environmental degradation

In this context, Masouj Muhammad, a member of the Economic Council in Darbasiyah, explained that "the previous Ba'ath government prevented the people of Jazira from planting trees of all kinds, which had disastrous effects on the agricultural environment in the region." He emphasized that "the people's reliance on a single type of agriculture deprived them of sustainable economic projects and the culture of afforestation."

Mohammed indicated that the council is about to launch a new plan next year, which includes planting approximately 10 kilograms of pistachio seeds, along with other types of fruit trees, in the city and its villages. This is part of organized afforestation campaigns aimed at engaging residents and encouraging them to return to the land and replant it.

Towards an Independent Environmental Model

These efforts reflect the Autonomous Administration's drive toward a local, independent agricultural model focused on sustainability and environmental balance, at a time when the region is facing increasing climatic and economic challenges and needs to restore the environmental diversity that formed part of its natural and economic identity decades ago.

T/S

ANHA