Not to be confused with the book of the same name
Make Rojava Green Again is an environmentalist program that has been carried out in Rojava since 2016. It has been involved in protecting and restoring damaged ecosystems in Rojava and working to raise awareness in other countries, notably Germany.
Background
In Rojava, the social origin of ecological problems is particularly visible. The Damascus regime has established a colonial-type economy in predominantly Kurdish areas. The Baath regime imposed monocultures of wheat in Cizir, olives in Afrin and a mix of the two in Kobane to maximize the potential to exploit the region’s natural resources. To do this, the forests were systematically razed and the population was forbidden to plant trees and vegetables. The aim was also to prevent the Kurds from being able to maintain food autonomy and force them to leave their region to work in the industries of the metropolis, thus undermining any possibility of resistance.
Projects
Community Gardens
After cleaning several neighbourhood riverbeds will be used as a small park. For this different types of local trees will be planted and to also invite the local population benches will be put up. The gardens will be taken care of collectively and the harvest will be shared within the commune.[1]
Reforestation
Several worker cooperatives have been set up around various wildlife reserves (with a ban on hunting and fishing) to plant olive and oak trees, grown using recycled water and fertilizer.[2]
Renewable Energy
Most of the grid electricity in Rojava comes from hydroelectric dams, with about a quarter derived from the natural gas flared during oil production. Municipal and private diesel generators fill in the gaps. Several wind turbines have been built to help transition to a more ecological form of energy production.[3]