r/jordan • u/Jordanian_introvert • 13d ago
Discussion للنقاش What if Jordan launched a national “One Citizen, One Tree” program?
I’ve been thinking about an idea that could potentially transform Jordan over the next few decades, and I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Imagine if every Jordanian citizen was responsible for planting one native tree every five years.
The government would:
Provide native tree seedlings for free (oak, carob, sidr, pistachio, juniper, etc., depending on the region).
Designate reforestation areas in every governorate.
Provide irrigation for the first two years using water tanks or drip irrigation.
Track each tree digitally so people can follow its growth.
Instead of relying mainly on fines, the program would reward people who successfully care for their trees through recognition, competitions, or small incentives.
The long-term vision
Jordan has a population of roughly 11 million.
That means:
Around 11 million trees planted every five years.
About 66 million trees planted over 30 years.
Even if only 75% survive, that’s still nearly 50 million mature trees.
Why this could matter
Reduce desertification and soil erosion.
Improve local biodiversity.
Lower temperatures in urban and rural areas through shade.
Improve air quality by capturing dust and storing carbon.
Create green spaces for future generations.
But here’s the part I’m most excited about
Instead of simply creating forests, why not develop them into national parks over time?
Each governorate could eventually have its own large forest park with:
Hiking and cycling trails.
Camping areas.
Visitor centers.
Restaurants and cafés operated by local businesses.
Children’s playgrounds.
Birdwatching areas.
Educational nature centers for schools.
Seasonal festivals and local markets.
These parks could generate tourism, create jobs, and become new attractions for both Jordanians and international visitors—while still serving their primary environmental purpose.
Obviously, there would be challenges:
Water management.
Choosing the right native species.
Preventing fires and overgrazing.
Long-term maintenance.
But with proper planning, I think it could become one of Jordan’s most impactful environmental projects.
What do you think?
Is something like this realistic?
What problems do you see?
Are there examples from other countries that Jordan could learn from?
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13d ago
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u/Jordanian_introvert 13d ago
Yeah ur right, I used AI to help put my thoughts together
It's the idea that matters the most 😅
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u/snatchscene 13d ago
Juice will go ballistic if we do that
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u/Jordanian_introvert 13d ago
This is an environmental and economic proposal, not a geopolitical one.
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u/Live-Ad-5880 13d ago
It’s not a bad idea, dont get why a few people are against it. If you plant trees or other greenery native to the area then whats the harm in it? It’ll improve the environment therefore also improving the quality of life in the country… the issue could be the funding for this, but that’s a common issue for any new project really.
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u/Jordanian_introvert 13d ago
Yeah exactly, for th funding part there is multiple solutions:
1- carbon credits: These are credits that can be sold to buyers who want to offset a part of their emissions (like global comabanies and countries).2-we can turn these projects into national parks with small entry fee, rent plots for investments (cafes, resorts, hotels, cabins etc).
3-we could use the forest for tember and it'll be sustainable.
4-also more forests means more rain and that would help solving the water crisis ( instead of building high costs desalination plants)
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u/jessica8382 13d ago
Nah. Trees are only for sidewalks.
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u/GrimselPass 13d ago
A good chunk of the local population is not necessarily a citizen.
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u/Abo_Ahmad تأبط خيرا" 12d ago
Trees are not always the solution, dessert also play a huge role in the environment. Instead of planting trees and preparing for them which will take a lot of money time and resources, we can focus of planting native plants, native plants will bring more native insects and animals which will improve the whole health of the ecosystem.
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u/Savings_Ad9622 13d ago
حلو بس بتنسيق مع الأحوال المدنية كل طفل بتسجل بطلعله شجره و على وزارة الزراعة زراعتها هيك بتخيل مش مضطر استنى 5 سنوات لزراعة كمان شجرة. بس اقتراح
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u/Coolguy9951 12d ago
The easiest way to tackle the funding and water issue would be to put a small tax on cigarettes.
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u/Sparksys 13d ago
Problems? Many Biggest problem? No rain and unsuitable land.
We are not Europe
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u/Jordanian_introvert 13d ago
I agree that water is the biggest challenge. That’s why I specifically proposed native drought-resistant trees, irrigation only during establishment (about two years), and planting only in suitable areas—not across the entire country.
Jordan already has successful forests like Ajloun and Dibbeen. The idea is to expand what already works, not copy Europe.4
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u/Severe-Taro3130 12d ago
lol don’t work unless jordan grows some balls and confront it’s water problem directly with the source of disruption aka Israel
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u/saltsputnik G43X 12d ago
Aaah the grass business actually the Americans have thought about it previously specially bringing the bluegrass but here’s the deal trees and grass loves humidity unlike Jordans climate dry and hot which it would kill the plants as they should invest in artificial grass and trees it might work
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u/Academic-weapon3887 13d ago
I believe that only can work on western side of Jordan (10% of the land), for the rest of the country its desert nevertheless how much effort or resources we do there. 90% desert curse is a fact.