GAM Celebrates the World Health Day of Trees Planting in Wadi Al-Qitar

 City Deputy Manager for Public Works, Eng. Mustafa Al-Louzi, stressed on Greater Amman Municipality keenness to combat  the health challenges and the environmental problems accompanying urbanization, and the necessity of dealing with them through joint efforts of GAM different units and other concerned institutions.
During his patronage of GAM celebration in the World Health Day in Wdai Al-Qitar, Eng. Al-Louzi affirmed the importance of reinforcing work meant to face health risks that affect urbanization, pointing out that evidence to such attention is manifested in the drafting of the Master Plan of Amman which addresses haphazard expansion and spills over normally leading to environmental and health problems.
Al-Louzi drew the attention to the fact that GAM has, over the years, targeted the areas of Eastern Amman that suffer from density of factories, quarries, industrial and vocational zones, not to mention the density of population. GAM tackles such problems through combating desertification, and setting up Al-Hussien National Parks in Wadi Al-Qitar with half a million trees planted over a space area of 6500 Dunnums- planted through the 12 stages of the project.
The City Deputy Manager for Public Works further added that GAM has recently drafted a plan comprising rehabilitation of some quarries locations through backfilling and addition of agriculture soil and eventually planting them with trees, thus beautifying the area and serving its residents.
The Director of health promotion programs in the World Health Organization, Tania Al-Cour, noted that World Health Day this year focuses on the theme "Urbanization and Health" owing to the impact of urbanization on human beings collectively and individually.
She said that urbanization is associated with many health and environmental challenges that call for maintaining environmental security in urban areas, including planting of trees and promoting awareness regarding proper and environmental procedures.
The festivity included planting 500 trees in Wadi Al-Qitar with the participation of the world Health Organization, students, and a number of the Jordanian Nurses Association. On her part, the Director of the Medical and Professional Inspection Department Dr. Mervat Mhairat, said that GAM has planned for this celebration in its capacity of being a member of the preparatory committee for the World Health Day to support the efforts of organization in handling health problems arising from urbanization and the relevant problems, most importantly environmental problems.
Mhairat cited the importance of getting the students and the local community share in such events to raise awareness regarding environmental and health issues, and to eventually promote awareness towards health challenges accompanying urbanization.
200 male and female students in UNRWA schools and Al-Fikr Al-Tarbawi (educational thought) planted trees in the eighth stage of Wadi Al-Qitar parks, east of the ring road of Al-Naser region. Director of Parks Eng. Nibal Qattan, Head of the local Committee of Al-Naser region Ahmad Al’Abed, the Region Manager, Abdel Raouf Al- Rawabdeh, and a number of GAM employees were also participants.
Students in the eighth grade Yasmeen Khaleel and Ru’a Al-‘Ain Dawoud from Al-Ashrafiyeh females schools expressed, during the celebration, their happiness to have participated with GAM in commemorating the International Health Day by planting as many trees possible, which shall contribute to creating an environment void of pollution.
Student Firas Al-Hawamdeh of the tenth grade in Al-Fikr Al-Tarbawi schools (educational thought) said, “I have joined this festivity through planting trees along with my colleagues to voice our loyalty to the city of Amman, and our keenness on improving its environment and maintaining its beauty”.
From his end, Eng. Qattan said that GAM has drafted a plan and commenced execution to plant the dumping area of Al-Baidah region with trees over a space area of 600 Dunnums, 250 dunnums of which have been planted so far, and a space area of 1086 Dunnums in Al-Madouna, adjacent to Al-Ghabawi dumping area will be planted with trees.
He further added that the planted areas in Amman have multiplied during the last 15 years, i.e. the planted area was estimated at 3000 Dunnums, and it multiplied to 9000 planted Dunnums.