Story | 22 Oct, 2018

Veterinary Clinic and Agricultural Extension Center Opens in East Amman

IUCN’s partners come together to support environment and livelihoods

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Photo: Amer Ma'dat

 

 

Amman, Jordan, 4 October 2018 – The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – the Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA), the global power company AES Jordan and the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture put their efforts together to set up and equip a veterinary clinic and agricultural extension center to serve the local community in East Amman Area. The need for the clinic in the area was identified as a priority by the local community during the consultation process IUCN carried out as part of the agreement with AES Levant to conduct a project to engage stakeholders in nature-based solutions to the environmental issues of the area.

 

His Excellency, the Minister of Agriculture Eng. Khaled Hnaifat commended the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s role in setting up the veterinary clinic and agriculture extension center in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture which aims at improving the services provided to the local community through a professional technical and administrative cadre that reports to the Ministry.  

 

Peter Kuijs, the Managing Director of AES Levant, said: “the Company’s international experience and deep knowledge in the field made us to be aware that the most valuable energy is the one that people bring. I hope that the energy of the local community will continue transforming the region converting it in an even better place to live and do business and we will be honored to support this transformation!”

 

Representing the IUCN, Samar Taha, the Dryland, Livelihood and Gender Program Manager, thanked all stakeholders for taking part in the project saying: “we at IUCN appreciate the opportunity to work with the private sector, the government and the local community - it is a formula for success. The participatory approach adopted by IUCN from the very beginning ensured stakeholders’ engagement. It brought them together for a good cause: to save the environment and support livelihoods”

 

Earlier in 2018, the project opened Al-Khashafeyeh community native seedling nursery with contribution from Sustainable Environment and Economic Development (SEED) Project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented through the United States Forest Service (USFS). The nursery run in full capacity by youth from local community and it is expected that the nursery will propagate native rangeland species, with a production capacity of 80,000 seedlings, ensuring employment opportunities to the local communities.

 

The veterinary clinic will serve around 550 livestock owner and the agricultural extension center will serve around 350 farmers, including women working in agricultural processing on a wide range of services including animal disease prevention, control and treatment, surgical operations, training veterinarian and advising owners on care of their livestock and newborns, in addition to general agricultural extension.

 
 

Background information:

 

About AES Jordan

AES Jordan is a subsidiary of The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) is a Fortune 500 global power company. AES provides affordable, sustainable energy to 15 countries through a diverse portfolio of distribution businesses as well as thermal and renewable generation facilities. The company’s workforce is committed to operational excellence and meeting the world’s changing power needs. Its 2017 revenues were $11 billion and we own and manage $33 billion in total assets.

AES is dedicated to improving the lives of its customers by leveraging the energy solutions that encompass a broad range of technologies and fuel types, including coal, diesel, gas, oil, pet coke and renewables. AES people share a passion to help meet the world’s current and increasing energy needs, while providing communities and countries the opportunity for economic growth due to the availability of reliable, affordable electric power.

 

 

About IUCN

IUCN is a membership Union composed of both government and civil society organisations. It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its more than 1,300 Member organisations and the input of more than 16,000 experts. IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.

 

www.iucn.org/westsia