Hilly area turned into forestland in Çilaxa

Since the Rojava revolution, reforestation has been one of the core activities in the north-east Syrian autonomous region.

In Abra, a village near the town of Çilaxa (al-Jawadiyah) in the northeast of Syria, trees were planted in a hilly area as part of the reforestation efforts in Rojava. Around 1,400 fir, fig and pomegranate trees were distributed to the local population at the time by the canton's Committee for Communal Affairs Qamishlo, provided that the area is not used for grazing livestock.

Four employees were hired for maintenance and irrigation, and agricultural engineers followed the entire process, as the stony soil of the area had been removed before reforestation. Now the canton has decided to build a deep well to help protect the forest. The cost of the project is estimated at the equivalent of about 9,000 euros.

"The forest will continue to grow and provide a healthy climate. This will improve the quality of life of the people here. The forest will also become a habitat for wild animals and insects. We think that's great," said Emine Yunis, Co-Chair of the Abra People's Community.

The Syrian regime used Rojava as a granary for decades and destroyed the region's forests for its construction industry. The entire region was deforested and leached with monocultures. Since the Rojava revolution, reforestation has been one of the core activities in the north-east Syrian autonomous region.