Japan on Wednesday extended a $40,783 grant to the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) in support of a project designed to improve the irrigation system in the Greigreh and Feinan areas in Wadi Araba and boost agricultural produce.

Japanese Ambassador to Jordan Shigenobu Kato and JRF Director General Valentina Qussisiya signed the grant agreement yesterday.

Land degradation is on the rise in many parts of the world, with direct consequences for an estimated 1.5 billion people – or a quarter of the world’s population – the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today, calling for renewed attention to tackle the issue. According to a study involving data taken over a 20-year period, the phenomenon is increasing in severity and extent, with more than 20 per cent of all cultivated areas, 30 per cent of forests and 10 per cent of grasslands undergoing degradation.