In the south of Jordan, Aqaba Gulf area, the Jordan National Red Crescent in Aqaba will be implementing a project to protect Threatened Historical Trees in Aqaba. Destruction of historical indigenous trees has increased in Aqaba over the past few years on account of development projects in the city related to the upsurge of industrial and touristic investment in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone. The project aims at reducing threats to historical trees known in Aqaba, including the ziziphus spina-christi and the date palm phoenix dactylifera trees, among others, involving all sectors of the community and raising attention to the importance of these trees which are important biodiversity species.

Project activities include conducting a study to identify number and locations of the concerned trees in order to place them on the maps of Aqaba. The study will also collect historical information and stories kept in the memory of Aqaba?s community, and will document this information and use it in the awareness campaign which will be conducted to mobilize public involvement and support to protection activities. The project will be implemented in cooperation with official and community agencies and will hopefully constitute the preparatory phase for a larger effort to propagate and re-introduce indigenous threatened trees in Aqaba.