Sana'a: Acting Prime Minister, Allama Mohammed Miftah, launched a project to plant ten thousand seedlings of 'Paulownia' trees in the Bani al-Harith district in the Capital Sana'a. This initiative marks the project's first phase, operating under the slogan 'For a clean environment and sustainable economic assets,' with local funding support.
According to Yemen News Agency, Miftah, alongside key officials including the Acting Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources Ammar al-Karim, Mayor of the Capital Sana'a Dr. Hammoud Abbad, and Deputy Minister of Electricity, Energy and Water Adel Bader, participated in planting the Paulownia tree seedlings in the al-Rahba area. The project is set to expand the cultivation of 'Paulownia' trees, aiming to utilize treated wastewater for timber production, thereby minimizing the cultivation of crops that pose health risks.
The project's financial backing of eight million riyals comes from the local council in the Capital Sana'a through the Agricultural and Fisheries Projects and Initiatives Financing Unit. It is anticipated to benefit 250 farmers within the year 1447 AH across various localities, including Bayt al-Hallali and Bayt Hanthal, among others in Bani al-Harith.
The Bani al-Harith Multi-Purpose Cooperative Association is spearheading the project, with oversight from the General Administration of Forests and Rangelands and Combating Desertification. The Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources Sector in the Capital Secretariat is tasked with monitoring and evaluating the project's progress.
Officials, including Shura Council member Adel al-Hanbasi and the Capital Sana'a's First Undersecretary Khaled al-Madani, received briefings on the project's anticipated positive impacts on local farmers and the wider community. In his remarks, Allama Miftah emphasized the project's role in addressing the sewage problem in the Capital Sana'a, highlighting the approval of wastewater management measures and the cultivation of Paulownia trees as a sustainable alternative.
Miftah reiterated the government's commitment to mitigating the sewage water problem, including preventing untreated wastewater irrigation and promoting the use of solar energy systems for shallow wells. He stressed the importance of conserving groundwater resources and indicated strict measures against those exploiting these resources for qat farming.
Additionally, Miftah outlined the government's strategic approach to relocating sewage water channels to safer areas and expanding the use of treated wastewater for non-food agricultural purposes. He assured that the government would facilitate Paulownia tree seedling availability upon citizen request.
Acting Minister of Agriculture Ammar al-Karim highlighted the project's potential to transform the targeted area into a sustainable timber forest, alongside other measures to address the region's sewage water challenges. The Mayor of the Capital Sana'a reaffirmed the project's alignment with comprehensive sewage water management strategies, underscoring the collaborative responsibility in tackling the issue within a defined timeframe.
The event was attended by various officials and stakeholders, further emphasizing the project's significance for environmental sustainability and economic development in the region.