The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan - UNDP...Hence, It is aspired to be used as a guide and a thorough...

The Hashemite Kingdom of JordanThe Deposit Number at The National Library

(2015/3/1000)

INTEGRATED INVESTMENT FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLELAND MANAGEMENT IN JORDAN

INTEGRATED INVESTMENT FRAMEWORKFOR SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT

FINAL REPORTPrepared for the Ministry of Environment

and the United Nations Development Programme

August 2014

PREFACEThe “Integrated Investment Framework for Sustainable Land Management” is a unique and comprehensive report prepared by the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme and with the support of the Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

The report aims to provide an update for the situation in Jordan with regards to desertification and Sustainable Land Management (SLM), review the conditions since the preparation of the Integrated Finance Strategy (IFS) in December 2008, and bring forth a firm basis for work on the next Jordan National Action Plan (JNAP). Moreover, the report outlines the country’s progress in tackling desertification and in pursuing SLM. This is covered in terms of Jordan’s obligations to the UNCCD, the JNAP, related national obligations to climate change and biodiversity conservation, and a review of national sectoral plans and policies that are relevant to SLM. Hence, It is aspired to be used as a guide and a thorough reference that can pave the way towards the sustainable management of land in Jordan.

In this regard, it is imperative to acknowledge the invaluable contributions from all institutions and individuals towards the preparation of this report. Particular appreciation is given to the chair of the National Committee of Desertification, Eng. Ahmad Qatarneh, and the members of the committee for ensuring the technical quality of the report. This effort was highly supported by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and enhances the strategic partnership between all partners towards the implementation of SLM. Further tribute is dedicated to the team of consultants who guided the preparation of the report and provided constructive inputs and peer review comments that significantly shaped this report.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

Abbreviation MeaningEMPs Environmental Management Plans EPF Environmental Protection Fund EPI Environment Performance IndexESIA The Environmental and Social Impact AnalysisESIP Environmental Strategy Implementation PlanESMP Environmental and Social Management PlanETFRN European Tropical Forest Research NetworkECU Environmental Compensation UnitEUROPEGAP European Good Agricultural Practice FAO Food and Agriculture OrganizationFD Forestry DepartmentFGEF French Global Environment FacilityFIELD Financial Information Engine on Land DegradationFRB French Foundation for Biodiversity Research GBD General Budget Department GCC Gulf Cooperation CouncilGCEP General Corporation of Environmental Protection GDCWG Government-Donor Coordination Working Group GDP Gross Domestic Product GEF Global Environment FacilityGHG Greenhouse GasesGIS Geographic Information SystemsGIZ German International Cooperation GM Global MechanismGOJ Government of Jordan HCST Higher Council for Science and TechnologyHFDJB Hashemite Fund for the Development of the Jordan BadiaHIV Human Immunodeficiency VirusHQ HeadquartersHSBC Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking CorporationHUDC Housing and Urban Development CorporationICARDA International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry AreasICI The International Climate InitiativeIDRC The International Development Research CenterIFAD International Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentIFS International Foundation of ScienceIFS Integrated Financing StrategyIIF Integrated Investment FrameworkIMF International Monetary Fund

Abbreviation MeaningIUCN International Union for Conservation of NatureJAZPP Jordan Arid Zone Productivity ProjectJBRDC Jordan Badia Research and Development CenterJCO Jordan Cooperative Organization JEF Jordan Environment FundJES Jordan Environmental SocietyJICA Japan International Cooperation AgencyJNAP Jordan National Action PlanJOHUD Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human DevelopmentJOSCIS The Jordan Soil and Climate Information SystemJREEF Jordan Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency FundJRV Jordan Rift ValleyJSDCBD Jordanian Society for Desertification Control and Badia DevelopmentJVA Jordan Valley AuthorityKFAS Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of SciencesKFW The German Development BankMAB Man and Biosphere ProgramMD Meteorological DepartmentMDGs Millennium Development GoalsMEMR Ministry of Energy and Mineral ResourcesMENA-DELP Middle East and North Africa Desert Ecosystems and Livelihoods ProgramMIT Ministry of Industry and TradeMOA Ministry of AgricultureMOPIC Ministry of Planning and International CooperationMOE Ministry of EnvironmentMOEd Ministry of EducationMOF Ministry of FinanceMOMA Ministry of Municipal AffairsMOSD Ministry of Social DevelopmentMOT Ministry of TransportMOTA Ministry of Tourism and AntiquitiesMWI Ministry of Water and IrrigationNA 21 National Agenda 21NAP National Action PlanNAPs National Action PlansNBSAP The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action PlanNCARE The National Center for Agriculture Research and ExtensionNCARTT The National Center for Agricultural Research and Technology TransferNCB The National Coordinating Body

Abbreviation MeaningNCB National Committee for BiodiversityNCCC The National Committee on Climate Change NCCD The National Committee for Combating DesertificationNCSA National Capacity Self-AssessmentNDP National Development PlanNEAP The National Environment Action PlanNEEDS National Environment and Economic Development StudyNERC The National Energy Research CenterNES The National Environment StrategyNFCD National Fund to Combat DesertificationNGOs Non-Governmental OrganizationsNITC National Information Technology CenterNOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministartionNPRRD National Program for Rangeland Rehabilitation and DevelopmentNRA Natural Resources AuthorityNPRS National Poverty Reduction StrategyNSAD National Strategy for Agriculture DevelopmentNSERC Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Counil NSMLUP National Soil Mapping and Land Use ProjectNTS National Tourism Strategy NWS National Water StrategyNYS National Youth StrategyOPEC Organization of the Petroleum Exporting CountriesPA Protected Area PACD Plan of Action Combat Desertification PMU Project Management UnitPoWPA Programme of Work on Protected AreaPPPs Public Private PartnershipsQIZ Qualified Industrial Zones REDD Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest DegradationRJGC Royal Jordanian Geographic CenterRSCN Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature SABEQ The Sustainable Achievement of Business Expansion and QualitySCCF The Special Climate Change FundSDC Swiss Agency for Development and CooperationSEAs Strategic Environmental Assessments SGP Small Grants ProgrammeSIDA Swedish International Development Cooperation AgencySLM Sustainable Land Management

Abbreviation MeaningSNC The Second National Communication SOER State of the Environment ReportSPS Science for Peace and SecuritySRMP Sustainable Rangeland Management ProjectTOR Term of Reference TVET Technical and Vocational Education and Training FundTWAS Third World Academy of Science UK United KingdomUNCCD United Nations Conventions to Combat Desertification UNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and Development UNCOD United Nations Conference on Desertification UNDP United Nations Development ProgrammeUNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UOJ University of Jordan USA United States of America USAID United States Agency for International DevelopmentUSDA United States Department of Agriculture WAJ Water Authority of JordanWCS Wildlife Conservation SocietyWFP World Food ProgrammeWGF Wallace Global FundWHO World Health OrganizationWTO World Trade OrganizationWWF World Wildlife Fund

Copyright © 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission for Ministry of Environment and United Nations Development Programme.

The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the report is the work of an independent team of authors sponsored by UNDP.

REPORT STRUCTURE

1 Introduction

1.1 Preparation of the Draft IIF

1.2 Purpose of the Draft IIF

1.3 Draft IIF Report Structure

2 Desertification

2.1 Definition

2.2 Process, Causes and Indicators of Desertification

2.3 United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

2.4 Other Key Global Environmental Obligations

3 Country Description: Jordan

3.1 Demography

3.2 Economic Development

3.3 Environmental Profile

3.4 Land Use Coverage

4 Desertification in Jordan

4.1 Reasons for Desertification

4.2 Water Resources

4.3 Activities Most Affecting Desertification

4.4 Economic Cost of Environmental Degradation

4.5 Current Status of Desertification in Jordan

5 Desertification and SLM Plans and Policies

5.1 National Reports on UNCCD Implementation

5.2 National Strategy and Action Plan to Combat Desertification 2006

5.3 Integrated Financing Strategy

5.4 Obligations for Conventions on Climate Change and Biodiversity

5.5 National Sectoral Plans and Policies Relevant to SLM

5.6 Important Desertification and SLM Projects

6 Potential JNAP Project Stakeholders

6.1 Government Agencies and Ministries

6.2 Semi-governmental Agencies and Research Institutes

6.3 Non-governmental Organisations

7 Review of SLM Funding

7.1 National Policy and Planning Framework

7.2 General Budget Preparation Process

7.3 Public Budget Funding Allocation

7.4 Project Funding Priorities

7.5 Domestic Funding Sources

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7.6 International Donor Agency Funding

7.7 Innovative Sources of Funding

7.8 Private Sector Funding and Support

8 Key Issues for SLM Project Implementation

8.1 Constraints and Opportunities for Project Funding and Implementation

8.2 Key Issues Undermining Desertification and SLM Plans

9 Project Prioritisation

9.1 National Strategy and Action Plan to Combat Desertification

9.2 IFS Assessment of Project Priorities

9.3 UNDP, GEF, and MOE Assessment of Research Priorities

9.4 Additional Projects for Consideration in a Revised JNAP

10 Implementation Plan

10.1 Revision to JNAP

10.2 NCCD the Key Implementing Agency

10.3 Coordination Framework for UNCCD, UNFCCC and CBD Projects

10.4 Need for Regular Plan Review

10.5 Monitoring Indicators

10.6 Implementation Framework

APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1 - JNAP Programmes and Projects

APPENDIX 2 - IFS Recommendations for Additional Projects

APPENDIX 3 - Mission Meetings and Activities

APPENDIX 4 - IIF Action Plan Report

APPENDIX 5 - Bibliography

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FIGURES

Figure 3.1 Map of Jordan Showing Key Topographical Features

Figure 3.2 Vegetation and Rainfall Map for Jordan

Figure 3.3 Key Threats to Biodiversity

Figure 3.4 Land Uses in Jordan (Based on NSMLUP)

Figure 5.1 Summary of Main Outcomes and Outputs of IFS

Figure 5.2 National Sectoral Plans and Policies Relevant to SLM

Figure 5.3 Land Regions in Jordan (NSMLUP)

Figure 5.4 Summary of Key Projects to Desertification and SLM

Figure 7.1 Potential Domestic Donor Funding Sources for SLM

Figure 7.2 Potential International Donor Funding Sources for SLM

Figure 9.1 IFS Project Prioritisation of JNAP

Figure 9.2 Criteria for Prioritising Research Areas of the Three Rio Conventions

Figure 9.3 Prioritised Desertification Research Topics

Figure 10.1 Potential Indicators of Desertification Process

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INTRODUCTION

13Supporting the Development of an Integrated Investment Framework for Sustainable Land Management in Jordan

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Preparation of the IIFThe Integrated Investment Framework for Sustainable Land Management (IIF) was prepared in December 2013 by the Ministry of Environment (MOE) with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Draft IIF was prepared in the period between mid 2013 to mid 2014. It was then circulated to roughly 20 stakeholders for comments. A workshop was subsequently

held in late 2013 to discuss the content of the Draft IIF. The document was finalised following a review of comments received from all stakeholders.

1.2 Purpose of the Draft IIFThe Draft IIF is intended to fulfill the following objectives:

• To update the situation in Jordan with regards to desertification and SLM following the first National Action Plan for Desertification for Jordan (JNAP), which was prepared in 2006. This included an update of progress on project implementation in JNAP;

• To review the conditions since the preparation of the Integrated Finance Strategy (IFS) in December 2008. The IFS aimed to provide a comprehensive and coordinated approach to financing and project implementation that would combat desertification and promote SLM, and in doing so to provide a more stable climate for investment and financing in this area for Jordan; and,

• To provide a firm basis for work on the next JNAP, as well as financing opportunities for SLM, in response to the country’s obligations to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The preparation of the revised JNAP is due to start in early 2014.

Under Article 5 of the UNCCD (1994), affected countries are required to prepare successful plans and programmes to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought. Accordingly, these programmes should be updated through

a continuing participatory process based on lessons learned from fieldwork, as well as results of research and studies. Project formulation and implementation has to be done through consultation with the relevant communities and needs to set out the practical steps and measures to be taken to combat desertification for specific ecosystems. The main objectives of these programmes (according to UNCCD) are:

1. To identify those factors which have contributed to desertification and to formulate feasible measures necessary to combat it;

2. To specify the roles of different stakeholders and decision makers in the process;

3. To establish early warning systems, integrated with regional and sub-regional programmes, that would consider seasonal and inter-annual climate predictions; and

4. To identify appropriate measures to combat desertification with particular emphasis on a community-based approach and the alleviation of poverty.

The IIF document will place an importance on incorporating an overall SLM approach to the revised JNAP rather than focusing on measures to combat desertification as such. SLM leads to the use of resources in ways that would not have negative effects on the productivity of land. Mainstreaming SLM into national policies and strategies and the regulatory, planning, and budgetary processes would be instrumental in securing resources for UNCCD implementation.

INTRODUCTION

14 Supporting the Development of an Integrated Investment Framework for Sustainable Land Management in Jordan

1.3 Draft IIF Report Structure

The global concerns in combating desertification are covered in Section 2, starting with a definition of desertification and looking at its causes and processes. Subsequently, the setting up of the UNCCD is described together with other related global initiatives that are relevant, especially the policies for the conservation of biodiversity and the measures for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Section 3 then briefly describes the situation in Jordan with regards to demography, economic development, its environmental profile and land use coverage. The more specific desertification conditions in Jordan are covered in Section 4, including the key reasons for it, the most damaging activities and the current status.

Section 5 outlines the country’s progress in tackling desertification and in pursuing SLM. This is covered in terms of Jordan’s obligations to the UNCCD, the JNAP, the preparation of the IFS, related national obligations to climate change and biodiversity conservation, and a review of national sectoral plans and policies that are relevant to SLM. There is also a brief description of some important desertification and SLM projects in Jordan.

The principal stakeholders and agencies that are involved in combating desertification in Jordan are dealt with in Section 6. Section 7 reviews the public sector and government financing of SLM in Jordan, together with donor agency funding (domestic and international) and the possibilities for innovative sources of SLM funding. The potential for greater private sector involvement in project implementation is also assessed. The primary constraints and key issues that relate to project funding and implementation for SLM are dealt with in Section 8.

The results of the main prioritisation exercises that have been undertaken for desertification projects in Jordan (and relevant to the JNAP) are outlined in Section 9. Section 10 then covers the implementation requirements for a revised JNAP, some possible recommendations for the review and monitoring of a revised plan, and the Implementation Framework.

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2. DESERTIFICATION

2.1 DefinitionDesertification is seen as the main environmental problem affecting natural resources in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid climatic zones. The interaction of climate and human induced factors is the main cause of the land degradation process known as desertification. The term ‘desertification’ was defined at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (otherwise known as ‘the Earth Summit’), and is as follows:

«Desertification is land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors including climatic variations and human activities”.

Land degradation refers to the reduction, or loss, of biological or economic productivity of agricultural land and forest/woodlands. It is estimated that one-third of the world’s total land surface is threatened by desertification (Barrow, 1994), and that roughly 70% of the 5.2 billion hectares of drylands in agricultural use have been degraded. This comprises about 30% of the earth’s land area with topsoil being lost at an annual rate of 24 billion tons.

However, it is important to understand that desertification, although it produces conditions similar to deserts, does not occur in hyper-arid deserts. Desert expansion is a natural condition, often followed by periods of shrinkage. The area of desert varies from year to year based on short-term weather and precipitation patterns. The oscillation of desert area is not the basis for assessing the more damaging process of desertification. As the United States Geological Survey (Walker, 1998) explains: «the presence of a nearby desert has no direct relationship to desertification.» In conclusion, desertification is a deterioration process in which ecosystems lose the ability to survive, thereby leading to the reduction of productive land, and therefore the loss of land with economic output.

The spatial distribution of desertification has been identified and presented in several maps, initially in the UN World Map of Desertification

in 1977, and subsequently in the revised World Atlas of Desertification (UNEP, 1997). The latter included references to environmental issues, incorporating concerns about surrounding biodiversity, climate change and the availability of water. Maps in the World Atlas show land that has been lost, or is in the process of being lost.

Global or national maps of desertification are useful for obtaining information about the status of desertification and to bring attention to the problem. The maps’ content tends to be indicative, however, it can be sometimes inaccurate, because of their production at a large scale. Plans to combat desertification require more detailed maps. Thus, whilst a scale of 1:50,000 enables prioritization at the regional level, a scale at 1:1,000 provides a planning tool that would be useful at the local or village level. Many countries, including Jordan, still lack these detailed maps.

Social and economic conditions, such as poverty and lack of food security, have had a major impact on the process and control of desertification. Over one billion people are at risk of poverty and malnutrition as a result of the decreasing agricultural productivity of soil conditions. In 2005 the UNCCD estimated that desertification directly affects 250 million people worldwide. According to the UNDP, estimated annual costs of desertification currently range from US$40 to US$45 billion.

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2.2 Process, Causes and Indicators of DesertificationProcess: Desertification is a process that involves a combination of vegetational degradation, soil erosion by water and wind, increased soil salinity and alkalinity, in addition to soil compaction and crust formation. Locally important processes also include the contamination of soil and groundwater, lowering of groundwater levels and damaging changes in soil function and quality.

Causes: There are two major causes of desertification: natural-physical; and, human induced factors. The former includes climatic conditions of periodic droughts and climate change, natural fires and disasters and, in some areas, locust invasion. Human factors often relate to the mismanagement of natural resources and can include poor land management and fragmentation, export-import policies, poverty, and changeable socio-economic conditions. Human factors are generally considered to have more impact on the process of desertification than the natural-physical influences.

In many Mediterranean countries, including Jordan, the process of desertification has been exacerbated by changeable socio-economic conditions such as high population growth, industrial activity, tourism and recreation, urbanization, and intensive agricultural development. Changes in land use patterns and, for example, the move towards more profitable agricultural systems, have placed additional pressures on limited resources in arid and semi-arid areas. The loss of vegetation through overgrazing, for example, is seen as a major cause of land degradation in these areas (Conacher and Sala, 1998).

Indicators: The identification of key indicators of degradation is a first step for monitoring any changes in the status and rate of desertification. These indicators are dependant on the environmental character, the scale of monitoring, and characteristics of the ecosystem. Some indicators, such as wind erosion, could be useful at the regional level, but would have little value at the village level, for example, where the extent and number of gullies would be more valuable, but would not register any significance at a national

scale. Thus, the selection of indicators to assess or measure desertification must consider the character of the area; sensitivity to change; and, the accuracy of measurement, analysis, interpretation and comparison. The selection of indicators should be divided into three main groups:

1) Physical Indicators: The decrease in soil depth; decline in soil organic matter and fertility; increase in soil crusting and compaction; appearance/increase in frequency and severity of dust and sand dunes; degree of salinity and alkalinity; decline in ground water quality and quantity; increased seasonality of springs and small streams; and, alterations in the relative reflection of land (Albedo change).

2) Biological Indicators:

a) Vegetation: The decrease in vegetation cover and above-ground biomass; decrease in crop yield; changes in key species (biodiversity); and, any deterioration and reduction of the seed bank.

b) Animal: Changes in the distribution of key species and their frequency; alterations in the number of domestic animals; and, changes in herd composition and livestock yield.

3) Social/Economic Indicators: Changes in land use patterns or the use of water; variations in settlement patterns and increases in abandonment; and, alterations in population and demographic structure.

2.3 United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)Background to Establishing UNCCD: In 1977, a United Nations Conference on Desertification (UNCOD) was convened in Nairobi to produce an effective, comprehensive, and coordinated programme for addressing the problem of land degradation. UNCOD proposed the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification (PACD). However, the implementation of PACD was severely hampered by limited resources and, in 1991, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) concluded that the problem of land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas had intensified.

The question of how to tackle desertification was a major concern for UNCED which adopted

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a new, integrated approach to the problem, emphasising action to promote sustainable development at the community level. It also called on the United Nations General Assembly to establish a Convention to Combat Desertification for affected countries. In December 1992, the General Assembly of the UN agreed and adopted resolution 47/188 to form the UNCCD, which was adopted in June 1994 (in Paris), and entered into force on December 26, 1996. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was one of the first 50 countries that ratified the Convention on the 21st of October 1996.

Purpose and Objectives of UNCCD: The key objective of the UNCCD is to combat desertification and to mitigate its effects at all levels with support from international cooperation and partnership arrangements. UNCCD would seek to promote sustainable development in the affected areas by improving land productivity, as well as through the rehabilitation, conservation, and sustainable management of land and water resources. This would lead to improved living conditions, in particular at the community level. The Convention offers an integrated framework that can help to secure a long-term cooperative approach towards implementing national action programmes. It sets out a democratic and local level approach, which is designed to: «forge a new deal between governments, the international community, development practitioners and local people» (UNCCD Secretariat 1995 ‘Down to Earth – A Simplified Guide to the CCD, Why It Is Necessary and What Is Important and Different About It’).

National Action Plans and Programmes: Article 5 of the UNCCD states that countries affected by desertification must prepare and publicise national action programmes to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought. This would be done through the National Strategy and Action Plan to Combat Desertification (NAP) process, which is the main instrument for implementation of the UNCCD at the national level. NAPs are required to be updated through a continuing public participatory process and also by following the results of research and studies. Their preparation must be closely linked to the formulation of national policies for sustainable development and should spell out the practical

measures to be taken to combat desertification in specific ecosystems. According to the UNCCD (1994), the main objectives of NAPs are:

• To identify the factors contributing to desertification as a first step in order to formulate feasible measures necessary to combat it;

• To specify the respective roles of different stakeholders and decision makers;

• To establish early warning systems, integrated with regional and sub-regional programmes, that consider seasonal and inter-annual climate predictions; and

• To identify appropriate measures to combat desertification with particular emphasis on a community-based approach dealing with poverty alleviation.

NAPs lie at the heart of UNCCD implementation, which are further strengthened by Action Programs at sub-regional and regional levels.

Resources for UNCCD Implementation: The Convention states that affected developing country authorities should “mobilize adequate financial resources for their NAP” and in return, developed country Parties should “mobilize substantial financial resources, including grants and concessional loans, in support of the programs in collaboration with [multilateral agencies such as] the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the World Bank, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’ (UNCCD). In order to mobilise funding, the Convention set up the Global Mechanism (GM) to increase the effectiveness of financing projects to tackle desertification. GM acts as a focus for a network of partners, committed to applying their resources and know-how to combating desertification. NAPs have to ensure that SLM principles are integrated into national policies and strategies, as well as regulatory, planning and budgetary processes, in order to secure resources for UNCCD implementation.

SLM is a comprehensive approach to tackling the challenges of land degradation with the potential of making significant and lasting differences in the adoption of land use systems that, through appropriate management practices, enables land users to maximise the economic and social

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benefits while maintaining or even enhancing the ecological support functions of the land resources.

In Jordan, the GM and the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC), in partnership with the Ministry of Environment (MOE), entered into an agreement in November 2004 for the use of grants from GM to support the country in implementing its commitments towards UNCCD. In June 2006, the MOE prepared Jordan’s National Strategy and Action Plan to Combat Desertification (JNAP).

Integrated Financing Strategies: Within the spirit of this changing environment, the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness called for «improving aid effectiveness through strengthening countries’ development strategies and operational frameworks, aligning aid with country priorities, eliminating duplication”. This prompted GM to focus on mainstreaming UNCCD issues into development programming processes and to support affected countries through the development of Integrated Financing Strategies (IFS) that would meet their long-term funding and policy needs. GM has proposed that the IFS be an instrument to support governments in mobilising financial resources for UNCCD implementation at the country level. Specifically, as stated in GM’s report to the Seventh Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) in 2006, the IFSs are intended to “contribute to broadening the scope of planning processes beyond specific sectors and include comprehensive coordinating arrangements between different financing sources, instruments and mechanisms.” The prime objective would be to improve the investment climate and to create a stable and enabling environment that would ultimately increase investments in SLM.

New Approach to Financing Desertification: The new approach to funding projects seeks to address root problems by tackling a range of issues – social, economic and environmental – via a chain of activities within an integrated and comprehensive programme. Multilateral and bilateral donors have adopted this approach in order to fund those activities that reflect national priorities as part of an overarching programme. In the case of desertification, SLM forms the core principle that incorporates a breadth of

activities focused on socio-economic conditions, especially poverty reduction, as a root cause of desertification. Because desertification remains a poorly understood concept and, for donors, is a term that does not rate highly on funding agendas, it does not form an attractive funding target. Thus, programmes tackling land degradation need to incorporate SLM as a key theme that would contribute to combating desertification. Therefore, by directly addressing poverty issues SLM would incorporate an integrated set of activities to deal with the natural resource base that local communities are dependent upon.

IFSs must identify a variety of domestic and international financing sources and, in this context, donors are increasingly attracted to co-financing and often expect that most resources are mobilised from other sources with a presumption that additional funding is used to fill gaps in financial needs. Thus, programme planning is crucial in outlining all activities that need funding before appropriate financing sources can be sought. This requires that project programmes specify particular financing needs in order to match available financing sources, all of which would operate within national budgetary capacities and follow donor-funding priorities.

Following a decade of UNCCD implementation experience, the Eighth Session of the Conference of the Parties in 2007 adopted a Ten-year Strategic Plan and Framework (2008-2018) to enhance the implementation of the UNCCD. This strategy focused on achieving four objectives:

• To improve the living conditions of affected populations;

• To improve the condition of affected ecosystems;

• To generate global benefits through effective UNCCD implementation; and,

• To mobilise resources that would support programme implementation by building effective partnerships between national and international actors.

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2.4 Other Key Global Environmental ObligationsMillennium Development Goals: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international development goals that were set out by the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the UN Millennium Declaration. All 189 UN member states and at least 23 international organisations have agreed to achieve these goals by 2015, which are as follows:

1. To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger;

2. To achieve universal primary education;

3. To promote gender equality and empowering women;

4. To reduce child mortality rates;

5. To improve maternal health;

6. To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases;

7. To ensure environmental sustainability; and,

8. To pursue a global partnership for development.

The eight goals have been further sub-divided into 18 targets, with 48 indicators, and dates set for their achievement. MDGs use 1990 data as baseline for attaining the goals by 2015. These goals are either directly (as in the case of Goals 1, 7 and 8), or indirectly, related to dealing with the causes of desertification. The MDGs have set unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest. In order to accelerate progress, the G8 Finance Ministers agreed (in June 2005) to provide enough funds to the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the African Development Bank to cancel an additional US$40-US$55 billion in debt owed by members of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries, in order to allow them to re allocate resources to social welfare programmes. A comprehensive review of the MDGs to measure achievement of the global targets set in 2000 will be conducted in 2015. However, in 2004 Jordan produced a report (prepared by MOPIC and UNDP) on its progress towards achieving its MDGs. The key conclusions in terms of Jordan’s progress were as follows:

• In terms of ‘eradicating extreme poverty and hunger’ (Goal 1) by halving the proportion of people on incomes of less than US$1 per day (Target 1), and by halving the proportion of

people suffering from hunger (Target 2), the progress is considered to be ‘on track’;

• For Target 9 (‘integrating the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes’), this is considered to be ‘potentially on track’;

• For Goal 7 (‘ensuring environmental sustainability’), two targets were considered to have made progress. Target 10 (‘halving by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water’) had been achieved by 2002. Target 11 (‘achieving by 2020 a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers’) was considered to be ‘potentially on track’ in terms of Jordan’s proportion; and,

• Available data also suggests good progress is being made, particularly concerning the protection of forested land, protected areas for biodiversity, and access to improved water sources and safe sanitation.

Commitments to UNFCCC and CBD: The Government of Jordan (GOJ) has ratified not only the UNCCD, but also the UNFCCC (on climate change) and the CBD (on biodiversity), both in 1993. The MOE is the focal point for Jordan’s compliance with these Rio Earth Summit Conventions. The objectives of the Conventions are often interlinked and, thus, projects and programmes outlined for compliance with CCD would also be effective in tackling UNFCCC and CBD objectives. While ratification demonstrates a commitment to international legislation, compliance is the real measure of how well a country is doing in fulfilling goals set in the Conventions. As Jordan is characterised by a semi‐arid climate, a high dependence on rainfall and a scarcity of water resources, it is considered to be one of those countries that are highly affected by climate change impacts as well as exposed to threats to its biodiversity, not to mention desertification. Although the country’s emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) are relatively low, climate change is still a major threat to Jordan since the ecosystem productivity and water resources are highly dependent on the hydrological cycle. All of this underlines the importance of integrating policies and proposals to combat desertification, protect biodiversity, and to counter climate change.

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION: JORDAN


3. COUNTRY DESCRIPTION: JORDAN

3.1 DemographyThe population of Jordan has increased almost tenfold since 1952 from 586,000, to 4.14 million in 1994, and to 5.6 million in 2006 (SOER, 2006). The country’s current natural growth rate of 2.8% has remained constant since 2000, after a decrease from 3.6% in 1996. However, figures for actual growth have been consistently higher than those for natural growth because of the influx of refugees. This has been principally due to the influx of Palestinian refugees (with major waves in 1948 and 1967), the return of Jordanian expatriates during the 1991 Gulf War, a continuous pattern of labour immigration and, more recently, the result of the Syrian conflict during which time an estimated 600,000 refugees (constituting 10% of Jordan’s population) have been living in urban areas or in temporary camps. GOJ estimated that the Syrian refugee population could rise to one million by the end of 2013 (MOPIC – October 2013).

The consequence of this has been that a large proportion of the population is less than 14 years old (37.3%) with those aged between 15 and 64 comprising 59.6% (SOER, 2006). This predominance of youth has imposed an economic burden on families with, for example, a comparatively low percentage of employable people (67%). Jordan’s demographic growth has also been boosted by a sharp fall in mortality rates, especially infant and child mortality, which followed the end of World War II. This has been largely due to improvements in nutrition, expanded immunisation programmes, and greater access to safe water, sanitation and health services. Infant mortality, which was at an alarmingly high rate of 160 per 1000 live births in 1950, then roughly halved by 1970 and, in 1998, stood at just over 20 per 1000 live births (UN Population Prospects 1950–2050, 1998 Revision).

Jordan’s population is highly urbanised. In 1952, almost 40% of the population lived in urban areas but by 2006 the figure had reached nearly 83% (SOER, 2006). This has been due to rural-to-urban migration and the influx of refugees. Urban inhabitants within Amman, Irbid and Zarqa governorates now account for 3.4 million people, comprising 63% of the population. Two million people live in the capital with 55% of them in Central Amman (an area of only 48km2), which has a population density of more than

11,460 persons per km2. Zarqa Governorate has the second highest population density with more than 6,460 persons per km2. In contrast, the Ma’an and Mafraq Governorates have population densities of one person per 5km2. In Ruwaished it is lower at one person per 3km2. High population densities in the most fertile highland areas, extending from Irbid in the north to Karak in the mid-south, have resulted in serious pressures on land use.

3.2 Economic Development Rapid population growth rates in a country of limited natural resources have put severe economic pressure on Jordan. Unemployment has been a continuing and growing problem, and poverty levels remain unacceptably high. Jordan’s, comparative regional advantage continues to rest with its highly developed human resources, strong tourism economy, stable government, and clear commitment to market-oriented economic reform. GDP growth has decreased from an average of 6.7% during the period 2000-2008 to 2.3% in 2010, with sector contributions being: manufacturing (17.1%); construction (4.8%); agriculture (3.0%); mining (2.1%); and, the balance with the service sector (73%) (MOPIC + MOF, 2010).

The budget deficit, after grants, stood at 1.6% of GDP in 2004 when industrial production increased



by 12.1%. The labour force is estimated to amount to 1.36 million (2003), which is divided by sector as follows: agriculture 5%; industry 12.5%; and, services 82.5% (2001 estimates). The principal industries in Jordan are mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, light manufacturing and tourism. Agriculture represents the main income source for about 15% of the population (National Rangeland Strategy 2001). However, there has been a growing dependency upon imports to meet the country’s consumption needs leading to an increase in national budget deficits. This is especially the case in the energy sector where there has been an increasing reliance on importing oil and gas. The main gas field at Al Reesha produces only 7% of the country’s energy needs. Oil shale has been found in commercial quantities and plans are in hand to extract this. It is anticipated that renewable energy sources will provide 10% of Jordan’s total energy demand.

During the last ten years the GOJ has undertaken a wide-ranging programme of economic reforms (in conjunction with the IMF and the World Bank) in order to increase living standards. These measures have helped to improve economic productivity, reduce the debt burden, and to attract more foreign investment. Liberalised trade conditions have led to Jordan’s membership of the WTO (2000), a free trade accord with the USA (2000) and an association agreement with the EU (2001), as well as similar agreements with other Arab countries. As a consequence, Jordan’s agricultural sector is now one of the least subsidised in the world. Agriculture, whilst low in its contribution to the GDP, is still the main driver for rural development and hence plays a key role in employment and food security. However, the increased use of pesticides and fertilizers in agricultural practice still represents a major threat to soil conditions, groundwater and human health. The scarcity of water has meant that the agriculture has had to undergo continuous structural reviews.

Current economic challenges facing the country include the need to reduce its dependence on foreign aid, reducing the budget deficit, creating investment incentives to promote job creation and increasing economic growth rates. Notwithstanding this, Jordan’s ranking in the Global Competitiveness Index continues

to improve (for example from 44/80 in 2002 to 34/102 in 2003). The key strengths of the economy lie in the quality of the educational system, the availability of scientists and engineers, good infrastructure, judicial independence and the efficiency of the legal system, and intellectual property protection. The GOJ intends to improve the national economy through greater diversification into information technology, the Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZs), the Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ), and by expanding tourism.

Poverty Indicators: According to the World Bank, the poverty level for Jordan in 2004 was US$280/person/month, which included 733,000 citizens to form a poverty incidence rate of 14.2% (down from 21.3% in 1997). With a Human Development Index of 0.729 in 2004 and a GDP per capita income of US$3,636 in 2008 (MOPIC + MOF, 2010), Jordan is ranked among the group of countries with a Medium Human Development Index. The unemployment rate in 2004 was 12.5%, a decrease from 14.5% in 2003 and 18.8% in 1993. The percentage of female participation in the labour force was 11.2% in 2003 (up from 6% during 1991-1994).

Total expenditure on health care stands at around 9% of total GDP. The country’s medical system is regarded as one of the best in the region. Jordan is striving to become a medical hub for the Middle East by offering relatively high-quality care at comparatively inexpensive rates. The health sector has witnessed a significant expansion in medical facilities. Prevailing health problems in the country have arisen principally from water pollution and the consequences of a poor sewerage system, as well as an increasing incidence of air pollution.

3.3 Environmental Profile Geographical Description: The country’s 89,000sq.km can be broadly divided into three topographic regions (General Corporation of Environmental Protection - GCEP, 1998):

• The Jordan Rift Valley (JRV): The JRV extends from Lake Tiberia in the north to the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea in the south and is 375kms in length. The width ranges from 30kms in Wadi Araba to 4kms near Lake Tiberia. The



Figure 3.1 - Map of Jordan Showing Key Topographical Features

Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and Wadi Araba are included in this zone. The Dead Sea is sited at the lowest point on earth at less than -41m (BSL). Average rainfall in the JRV is 200-300mm per year in the Jordan Valley, 50-100mm in the Dead Sea, and less than 50mm in Wadi Araba.

• The Mountainous Region: This region forms the eastern boundary of the Rift Valley and extends from Lake Tiberia to the Gulf of Aqaba

with mountains generally ranging in elevation from 1,200 to 1,500 meters (ASL), although the highest point is 1,854m at Jabal Um Dami Mountain (in the Wadi Rum area). This region extends in width from 30 to 50kms. Elevations drop gradually to the east towards the Eastern Desert and sharply to the west towards the JRV. There is a relatively mild climate with winter rains. Higher elevations receive occasional

Source: Fourth National Report on Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity: Jordan. Prepared by the Ministry of Environment (March 2009)



Figure 3.2 - Vegetation and Rainfall Map for Jordan


winter snow. Average annual precipitation varies from 600mm in the northern highlands to 100-300 mm in the south. This region accommodates 90% of Jordan’s population.

• The Eastern Desert: Also known as the Badia (and primarily occupied by Bedouin), this area lies to the east of the Mountainous Region. It covers 85% of Jordan’s land area and is characterised by a dry and hot climate. Most of the zone is flat or hilly, but in the south it is mountainous. The Badia experiences between

50-200mm of annual rainfall.

Climatic Conditions: Generally, the key feature of the country’s climate is the contrast between hot dry, uniform summers, and cool variable winters. The rainy season is between October and May with 80% of the annual rainfall experienced between December and March. Most precipitation results from the passage of frontal depressions across from the Mediterranean. However, there has been a progressive decrease in Jordan’s annual rainfall. For example, the pattern recorded at Amman



Airport shows that average annual rainfall during the first half of the century was 320mm and then dropped to 285mm during the 1980’s and 1990’s. The winter months have moderately cool and sometimes cold weather, averaging about 13°C, with January typically being the coldest month. Frost occurs during the winter with occasional snow in Amman, the western and northern highlands.

There are long summers extending from the middle of May to the end of September, which reach a peak during August with daytime temperatures often exceeding 36°C and an average of more than 32°C. For a month or more before the summer dry season, hot and dry air from the desert, drawn by low pressure, produces strong winds from the south or southeast that sometimes reach gale force strength. This wind (the khamasin) is usually accompanied by large dust clouds and a drop in relative humidity to about 10% and a 10°C to 15°C rise in temperature. These windstorms typically last for a day or more and can result in the frequent failure of many rainfed crops. In addition, the shammal wind from the north and northwest occurs between June and September and is characterised by nighttime breezes. The dryness of the shammal causes high daytime temperatures that moderate after sunset. ( Figure 3.1, Page 20 )

Environmental Management: Jordan was ranked 70th among 149 countries in the 2008 Environment Performance Index (EPI) and was given an overall score of 76.5% in the study based on 25 indicators tracked across six established policy categories: environmental health; air pollution; water resources; biodiversity and habitat; productive natural resources; and, climate change. This compares with its ranking in 2005 of 64th among 133 countries. Jordan continues to be one of the lead countries in the region to adopt comprehensive environmental protection measures. It has embarked on numerous national level activities to protect, rehabilitate, and enhance the environment, including water resources, air quality enhancement, solid waste management, as well as the protection of ecological resources and biodiversity.

The Environmental Police Unit was established in 2009, in conjunction with a unit in the MOE,

to enforce environmental laws and regulations. Since then, MOE has intensified inspection campaigns on industrial facilities to check on their compliance with environmental regulations and has also introduced new techniques to treat medical and solid waste. In 2008 Jordan also started to use unleaded fuel in order to reduce air pollution.

The problems of water supply are at the forefront of environmental concerns, with some groundwater aquifers being exhausted beyond natural recharge rates (causing both quantity and quality issues). Surface water supplies are also inadequate and present health and welfare concerns. Demand for water is broadly estimated to outstrip supply by 50%. The GOJ has long prioritised scarce water resources and consequent land degradation as one of its most pressing problems. ( Figure 3.1, Page 20 )

Ecology and Biodiversity: Jordan’s geographical location, climate and varied topographical conditions have resulted in a varied flora and fauna and the existence of many species as being endemic and/or rare. In 1977, IUCN-WWF identified 12 different habitats of conservation importance, which now comprise the network of Jordan’s protected areas (PA). In 2000, Birdlife International and the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) identified and declared 27 areas in Jordan as globally important bird regions (RSCN, 2000). There are currently seven national natural reserves designated in Jordan, namely: Shaumari, Azraq, Mujeb, Dana, Ajloun, Dibeen and Wadi Rum. Five more reserves are being established (SOER, 2006) in Burqu’, and four others in the Jordan Valley. There are also 28 grazing reserves in the rangelands and one marine reserve at Aqaba. Notwithstanding this, the country’s dramatic increase in population constitutes a significant threat to biodiversity. Most literature and research highlights population increase as the root cause of environmental problems in Jordan (GCEP, 1998).



Figure 3.3 - Key Threats to Biodiversity

Threat Root Cause

Fragmentation of habitats Agricultural encroachment; No applied land use strategies; No guideline policies on conservation with de-velopment agencies; Unregulated urban and infrastructure expan-sion; and, No clearly mandated management agency.

Inappropriate agricultural development Lack of comprehensive land use strategy; No conservation‐orientated policies or exten-sion services; Weak coordination between farmers and gov-ernment agencies; and, High water demanding crops.

Water pollution Excessive agrochemical use; Inadequate guidelines on use of agrochemicals; Minimal sewage treatment; and, Inadequate controls on industrial effluent.

Air pollution Inadequate controls on industrial emissions.Solid waste Lack of treatment infrastructure.Excessive hunting pressure Inadequate enforcement of laws; and,

Declining bird populations. Excessive grazing pressure/over grazing Inadequate enforcement of regulations;

Lack of grazing land; and, Limited alternative livelihoods.

Deforestation, wood cutting Inadequate enforcement of regulations; Limited fuel supplies for subsistence communi-ties; and,Lack of alternative livelihoods.

Unregulated tourism development Inadequate planning and enforcement of regu-lations.

Over‐extraction of water Lack of coordinated strategy between govern-ment and users; Weak enforcement of regulations (EIAs); Lack of water conservation technologies; High water demanding crops; and,No coordination between supply and demand.

Plant diversity in Jordan has declined dramatically and some have become extinct in the wild. The key reasons for this are habitat encroachment by urban and agricultural development, deforestation, rangeland deterioration, and the depletion of major water resources. There are some 485 species of medicinal plants in Jordan (herbs, shrubs and trees) with preventative and/or curative health value. However, drought

conditions in the last two decades have resulted in a gradual decrease in both distribution and density of these plants. During the last century, many native Jordanian species of flora and fauna have become extinct, including some species that were once widespread and common. For example, 15 of Jordan’s 425 species of birds are categorised as being globally threatened. The decline in the country’s wildlife has mainly



affected large mammal populations. Some 46 species of mammals, 11 bird species, four of reptiles, six of freshwater fish, two of marine invertebrates and four of marine vertebrate species are nationally threatened (2009 IUCN report). This has resulted from destruction of habitats and ecosystems, introduction of invasive species, and increased hunting.

3.4 Land Use CoverageLand use coverage in Jordan falls into five broad categories (DOS, 2003): non-cultivated rangelands (93.30%); urban areas (1.89%); forests (1.50%); water surfaces (Dead Sea and Gulf of Aqaba – 0.62%); and, agricultural lands (2.61%). The form of this land use coverage reflects, to a large extent, climate, topography, soils and, most importantly, the availability of water resources.

Figure 3.4 - Land Uses in Jordan

(Based on National Soil Mapping and Land Use Project).




Urban Areas: Although urban areas constitute a very small coverage of land, it is concentrated in the most productive high rainfall zone in Amman, Irbid, Madaba, Ajloun, Jerash and Salt. Urban expansion is also continuing at an accelerating rate and is spreading into marginal rangelands, from Ma’an to Mafraq and eastwards along the Syrian border. In addition large communities, such as Azraq, Safawi, Ruwaishad and Reesheh, have all grown within the Badia rangeland areas. Government agencies have provided these communities with the necessary infrastructure services, thereby further encouraging the development and expansion of these settlements. However, the main driving force for the growth of settlements is demographic change. Population in the Badia has changed from nomadic Bedouin communities to more permanent residential communities that are keen to urbanise and reduce any dependency on grazing and livestock breeding.

Forests and Woodlands: Forests are found primarily in the high rainfall zone of Ajloun and Jerash (these two governorates have 20-30% forest coverage) and have been altered by agro-forestry systems and cutting. Jordan’s coverage of woodlands a century ago was estimated at twice today’s area (Tilawi, 1995). Jordan Agenda 21 also pointed out that forest cover is now less than 0.5% of the country’s total land area (MMRAE, 2002). Furthermore, these areas are fragmented and, whilst mostly protected, are degraded with little natural regeneration. An emerging key priority is the protection of forests in watershed areas in order to reduce slope erosion. There are four national forest reserves totaling some 35,000ha in Jordan (Ajloun, Dana, Dibben and Yarmouk), which are managed by the RSCN in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) Forestry Department (FD), and the MOE.

Forests in Jordan consist of natural and planted woodlands that include windbreaks and shelterbelts. In the northern highlands, they extend for some 80kms in length from Wadi El Arab in the north to Wadi Kuffrein in the south with a maximum width from east to west of 25kms in the Ajloun area. Forests’ composition includes evergreen, deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests of oak and wild olive. Reforestation has since reclaimed large areas now planted with

pines and eucalyptus woods.

Rangelands: Rangelands in arid and semi-arid regions take up the vast majority of Jordan’s land area. They have a low population of roughly 185,000 living in 170 communities (roughly two persons per sq.km and 2.5% of Jordan’s population). Rangelands can be subdivided into the Badia semi-desert/arid areas, and that of the steppes, which is characterised by steep slopes and rough topography. However, most of the rangelands are located in the arid zone, which provides important grazing. Officially the rangelands (especially the Badia) are state-owned but in practice tribal Bedouins control and claim ownership.

Livestock is the major source of income for local communities in this area. Goat and sheep owners have traditionally moved according to the availability of fodder and water between eastern grazing regions (during the winter and spring seasons) and western farming and mountainous regions to graze on grass and crop by-products (during summer and autumn seasons). The highest productive rangelands are located within the 100-250mm rainfall zone (steppe grassland and brush). In this area, barley is sometimes cultivated for fodder. Rainfall is rarely adequate to produce a reasonable crop and failure or, at best, limited vegetative growth is common. With the introduction of tractors in the early 1950s, the expansion of tillage and plowing in the steppe lands increased. Increasing land ownership and territorial disputes also arose, principally because of limited forage resources. The result has been that large areas of steppe vegetation have been destroyed and the carrying capacity of the rangelands has been much reduced.

Agriculture: The low rainfall does not support good rainfed agriculture, except for areas in the northern and western highlands. The rainfed agricultural sector can be sub-divided into fruit trees and field crops, with tree crops dominating hilly and steeply sloping land in the western highlands plateau. Slopes are often too steep for cereal production or other annual crops even with soil conservation measures. However, wheat is grown on some steep slopes and there has also been significant expansion of olive groves. This is a trend that has been encouraged by GOJ



under projects such as the Zarqa Basin Project and the Highland Development Project. On the undulating land of the plains of Irbid, Madaba, Karak, Tafila and Shoubak wheat is the major crop, with some planting of tobacco, sorghum, and other summer crops of lentil and chickpea.

Most irrigated agriculture is located in the Jordan Valley, with water mostly transported via the King Abdullah Canal although some areas in the south of the valley are irrigated from groundwater sources. Most of the crops are vegetables and fruit trees, including citrus and bananas. In the northern part of the valley, wheat is typically grown on stony soils and depends to a large extent on supplementary irrigation by sprinklers during the yield formation. In the Disi and Mudawwara areas, deep groundwater is used for the irrigation of wheat, forage plants and potatoes. There is also irrigated agriculture on the basalt plateau soils of northern Jordan, such as in Mafraq Governorate. In these areas, the abstraction of groundwater resources has expanded rapidly into the steppe zone, often for the production of fruit crops.

Other irrigated areas are found mostly in the south and south east of Amman in the upper Dead Sea groundwater basin. In many of the valleys leading from the highlands to the Rift Valley, springs are used to irrigate fruit and vegetables. There are only limited alluvial areas in many valleys and, increasingly, water is pumped to small, gently sloping land at considerable heights above the streambed. This kind of production can be seen in Wadi Al Mujib and Wadi Al Hass.

DESERTIFICATION IN JORDAN


4. DESERTIFICATION IN JORDAN

4.1 Reasons for DesertificationMost of Jordan’s arid and semi-arid areas have suffered desertification (roughly 90% of the country is classified as ‘drylands’) and several studies have indicated that the threat is increasing. The primary cause of this has been the rapid development from a sparsely inhabited country into a modern agricultural and industrial society. Jordan’s population boom has increased the demand for food and land. Many cities, towns and villages have extended their boundaries, and agricultural land has been increasingly transformed into residential areas. In addition to these human induced factors,

climatic changes have led to increasingly periodic rainfall and droughts, all of which has exacerbated desertification.

In terms of land mismanagement, farmers have resorted, for example, to cultivating erosion-prone hillsides and moving into tropical or marginal arid areas where crop yields usually drop sharply after just a few years (IUCN, UNEP, WWF, 1991). Irrigated highlands and the Jordan Valley have also been affected by increasing soil salinity and alkalinity. According to Al Hadidi (1996), the transition zone (between arid areas in the east and sub-humid areas in the west) has been exposed to a high risk of desertification and is expected to lose its productivity over time. Other activities that have contributed to land degradation include plowing in order to register claims on land ownership, overgrazing of natural vegetation in the rangelands, and excessive woodcutting in forested areas. The following sub-sections include a more detailed review of the principal causes of desertification in Jordan.

4.2 Water ResourcesDemand for Water: Jordan has very limited water resources with one of the lowest rates of water consumption in the world (currently at 150m3 per capita per annum). Available water resources continue to fall with population growth and are projected to drop to about 90m3 per capita per annum by 2025, which would place Jordan in the category of absolute water shortage conditions. The scarcity

of water is considered to be the single most important constraint to the country’s growth with demand far exceeding renewable supply. The total annual renewable amount is assessed at 780mcm, of which 505mcm is from surface water (from dams and water basins), and 275mcm from groundwater resources. Water harvesting projects contribute about 32mcm. Groundwater sources provide 70% of potable water in Jordan. It has been estimated that aquifers were over-pumped by about 60mcm in 2006 leading to a continuingly severe decline in groundwater levels (SOER, 2006).

Water use varies according to the availability of surface supply and climatic conditions. However, demand has risen as a result of population growth and increasing living standards. Hence municipal water demand is growing faster than population growth and, because of capacity and supply constraints, actual demand is never met. In 2006 a total of 590mcm was used for agricultural purposes (representing about 64% of the total water use), with domestic/municipal demand consuming 270mcm (32%), and industrial activities taking 36mcm (4%), most of which was used by phosphate and potash production.

The consumption deficit is made up by overdrawing highland aquifers, resulting in a lowered water table in many basins and declining water quality in others. The gap between demand and supply is often dealt with by rationing to the domestic and the agricultural sectors through rotating supply, and by providing intermittent services during the dry months (June–August).



Reclaimed wastewater has been increasingly used for irrigation. Water is also supplied from more than ten desalination plants. There is also a proposal to desalinate 75mcm of water per annum from the Dead Sea (SOER, 2006) as part of the implementation of the Red Sea-Dead Sea canal project.

Surface Water Resources: Surface water resources in Jordan are distributed among 15 major basins, which can be classified into three groups: those that drain into the Dead Sea; into the Red Sea; and, those that drain eastwards into desert mudflats. The primary source of surface water is the Yarmouk River followed by the Zarqa River. The Yarmouk basin is shared between Jordan and Syria with one third of the long-term average surface runoff being in Jordan. The flow of the River Jordan, which was once a major water resource prior to the control of releases from Lake Tiberia by Israel in 1964, has dropped significantly except during the flooding season when the lake is full.

Yarmouk River flows have more than halved since the 1970s, principally due to the number of dams in Syria. Base river flows witnessed further drops in the late 1990s and early 2000s due to the heavy abstraction of groundwater. Use of groundwater in the Amman-Zarqa basin has also greatly reduced Zarqa River levels and water currently consists primarily of effluent discharge from three treatment plants. Similar conditions are observed in wadi flows, such as the Wadi Al Arab, where the abstraction of groundwater aquifers has greatly reduced the discharge of springs.

Ground Water Resources: Abstraction from half of Jordan’s water basins has exceeded safe yields. Water levels in the main aquifers have been declining from over-exploitation with some aquifers showing considerable deterioration in water quality due to salinity. Those aquifers that suffer most from overexploitation are:

1. Amman-Zarqa Basin: The Amman-Zarqa Basin is the primary renewable ground water basin in Jordan and is situated in the most urbanised part of the country. Intensive urbanisation, sewage leakage from septic tanks and broken sewer networks have contributed, with over-pumping, to rapid depletion in water quantity

and quality in aquifers, thereby leading to increased desertification in this area.

2. Yarmouk Basin: Yarmouk basin is the second largest ground water resource and is recharged from the northern mountains and southern parts of Syria with relatively high rainfall intensities. The fluctuation in rainfall volumes and over-pumping in the Yarmouk basin have resulted in depleted reserves.

3. Azraq Basin: This is one of the main groundwater basins, which supplies most of the water to Amman Municipality. The growth of agriculture after the 1970s in the Azraq area resulted in abstraction at twice the amount of safe yield of groundwater being taken. Over-pumping from the shallow aquifer led to substantial declines in groundwater levels and a drop in water quality. Two of the basin’s main oases have almost dried up and this has affected the area’s ecological system.

Treated Wastewater: Piped wastewater networks serve roughly 60% of Jordan’s population with the remainder using septic tanks. There are more than 30 treatment plants of which the Jordan Water Authority operates two-thirds (SOER, 2006). Khirbit As Samra is the largest in the country and treats 75% of generated wastewater. Treated water is then discharged into watercourses or used for irrigation, mostly in the Jordan Valley. Wastewater quantity is increasing with the growth in population and the development of the sewerage systems. By 2025, when the population is projected to reach ten million, the percentage of the population with sewerage services will have increased to over 65%. Jordan’s wastewater treatment use is primarily done through stabilisation ponds, with a consequent loss of water through evaporation and increased salinity levels in the effluent. This needs to be addressed in order to deal with the constraints on the reuse of treated wastewater. The GOJ plans to convert stabilisation ponds into mechanical treatment plants and to expand other plants.

Desalinated Water: Water desalination is being considered as an important future source of supply. The two main desalination projects are in Abu Az Zeigan and Al Lajoun. Other smaller desalination plants supply remote settlements.



The principal environmental concern for desalination projects is brine disposal. According to the National Water Master Plan, an estimated 12,000mcm of saline fossil groundwater is stored in Jordan’s deep aquifers. Some saline springs and deep wells in the JRV and its tributaries could also be considered for treatment to supply fresh water. Currently, roughly 40mcm per annum of desalinated water is produced to augment domestic supply and a further 9mcm is used for agricultural purposes.

4.3 Activities Most Affecting DesertificationRainfed and Irrigation Agricultural Activities: In the highlands, privately managed farms are typically irrigated by groundwater from private wells. The publicly managed irrigation system in the Jordan Valley uses water from the Yarmouk River, as well as recycled wastewater. Expansion of water supply has had to be rapid in the last 30 years in order to irrigate the dramatic increase in the agricultural areas of the highlands from 3,000ha in 1976 to an estimated 43,000ha in 2004. Agricultural clearing, fuel wood exploitation and overgrazing has resulted in further deforestation, soil erosion, the loss of valuable timber resources, and damage to watershed areas.

The extension of rainfed cultivation areas into low rainfall zones, so as to meet the demand for food, has also resulted in accelerated land degradation, with barley-cultivation being the most unsuitable crop there. The growth of irrigated farming in the eastern part of the country, where numerous irrigation projects have been initiated, has placed more pressure on water supplies and has resulted in an increased risk of salinity. Private sector investment into irrigation projects has led to intensified water demand in low rainfall zones, especially in the Badia’s eastern areas. Traditionally, sloping land was cultivated by using the natural contour lines. However, nowadays, mechanised soil preparation and the vertical plowing of slopes are common with consequent increases in erosion risk.

Rangeland Agricultural Practices: Traditional grazing practices in the rangelands have been based on a nomadic system that allowed for the natural regeneration of forage. Livestock owners used to follow a natural grazing cycle

that provided the land with a resting (fallow) period of about six months a year. Animals were moved by the end of autumn and the beginning of winter seasons to the Badia ranges, where there was relative warmth and availability of early-growth fodder. When the fodder dried and availability was reduced in the east, then animals were returned to the western areas by which time there would be abundant grazing available.

However, rangelands are now being degraded by activities such as overgrazing, off-road driving because of the random nature of routes, inadequate cultivation patterns, excessive use of wood for fuel, thereby depleting soil conditions, the practice of plowing to establish land rights, and the pressures of population growth and urban expansion. This has led to the reduction of plant and vegetation cover (and an increase in noxious plant species); a transition of large areas from perennial ranges to annual ranges; an increase in soil erosion and the loss of soil fertility; the loss of rainfall water through runoff; an increase in water salinity and declining underground water aquifers; more frequency of wind storms; and, the disappearance of wildlife and a reduction in biodiversity. The deterioration in the quality of rangeland has affected wildlife there because of the competition between sheep/goats with other herbivores (such as gazelles, seed-eating birds and rodents) that has reduced food sources for herbivores (and thus the loss of food sources for predators).

The GOJ has long recognised the importance of rangelands and the need for their conservation. The first reserves were established in the early 1940s to protect, improve and manage rangelands through research and development activities. Currently, there are 28 designated range reserves and nine cooperative range reserves. Even if these reserves were able to contribute to the sustainable use of rangelands, their total area would still be limited in comparison to the rangeland area currently being degraded. Furthermore, traditional land resource management systems may be unable to adapt fast enough to prevent overuse of resources.

SLM and environmental conservation projects in Jordan have begun to adopt the traditional



hima system of resource tenure. Hima has been practiced for more than 1400 years in the Arabian Peninsula and, in Arabic, refers to a protected place or protected area. Whilst it can relate to the communal management of different forms of agricultural use it has typically evolved in meaning to signify a rangeland reserve or a piece of land that is left unused on a seasonal basis in order to allow for environmental regeneration. The areas can range in size from a few hectares to hundreds of square kilometres.

Himas have operated according to customary management practices and most have been consensually administered by, and for, a particular village or tribe with well-established hierarchal governance systems led by a local village head or sheikh. A hima may be established for any purpose that contributes to the common good, so it could be managed for either biodiversity conservation or the sustainable agricultural use of natural resources. It has been traditionally adopted as a way of life, which has been passed on through the generations and practiced as a natural form of livelihood and communal existence. However, modern technology, population pressures and the growth of private land ownership have eroded the application of hima.

More recently there has been a move to return to this form of communal land management and to apply its principles to conservation and sustainable land use. It follows the concept of equity in the planning and management of protected areas and could be applicable either close to existing settlements or indeed in rural and isolated nomadic areas. The hima system is now regarded as being a successful means of integrating nature conservation with human activities. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has adopted a hima approach in Jordan and Lebanon as a way to achieve both sustainable land management and biodiversity conservation for areas that are used primarily for food production. Thus, in Jordan, the IUCN in conjunction with MOA have recently implemented the Reviving Hima Sites Project for four communities in the Zarqa River Basin area.

Mining Activities: Mining for minerals has been undertaken for centuries in Jordan. Currently, copper, potash, phosphates and iron ore are

extracted for the construction sector and for export. Phosphate is the principal mineral mined in the Badia (Russaifa, Wadi Abyad and Hasa, and Rashadiyah), although cement (in Khaldiyah) and aggregates are also obtained. Oil is drilled at a site to the south east of Azraq and gas in Reeshah. Exploration, mining and the manufacturing of mineral commodities have resulted in environmental pollution, destruction to the landscape and negative effects on wildlife biodiversity and surface vegetation. Tailing and seepage emerging from mining plants also pollute water resources. This often occurs through the issuance of exploration permits, exploitation licenses and mining rights without a proper mining plan, as well as poorly applied environmental protection measures during mining activities (especially in small mines and quarries).

One of the problems with mining concessions in Jordan is that although agreement may have been reached between the GOJ and mining companies on dealing with environmental impacts from operational activities and mitigation measures, there has been little evidence of fulfilment. Most evidently, for example, there has been a general problem with the enforcement of environmental remediation works of exposed quarry areas after a mining concession has expired.

Industrial Activities: Industrial growth in Jordan has led to severe environmental problems including water and air pollution, and uncontrolled hazardous waste disposal. Solid and liquid wastes are produced and disposed of by industries with limited protective treatment. This pollution has had a tremendous impact on biodiversity sensitive areas. In order to address these concerns, the industrial sector, and other development sectors, need to adopt strictly enforced environmental certification, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Environmental Management Plans (EMPs) during construction and operation. The use of EIAs and EMPs, as well as the introduction of Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) as part of regional or area-based plan preparation would help to significantly control the impact of industrial activities. A Cleaner Production Center has been established in Jordan under the initiative of the Friends of the Environment in Jordan Society with the collaboration of the RSCN and others.



Tourism Sector Activities: The tourism sector has grown rapidly during the last ten years and is now the largest generator of foreign exchange. This growth has come with an increase in hotel construction and associated infrastructure, which has led to a rapid and largely unplanned development of facilities with significant environmental impacts. The sustainability of the tourism industry as a whole is also threatened since the natural environment is the fundamental resource of Jordan’s tourism. To this end, the effective application of carrying capacity would make a key positive contribution to environmental conditions. Carrying capacity can be defined by the number of visitors and level of development a site can absorb without causing unacceptable changes to the natural, social and cultural environment and without negatively affecting visitors’ enjoyment.

Thus, carrying capacities would be beneficially implemented in Wadi Rum (where vehicles cause serious land erosion) and Petra (where crowds can make it difficult to appreciate the scenic beauty). However, in Petra, there has been little experience of regulating visitor capacity, whilst in Dana, for example, the implementation of carrying capacity limits is likely to be more straightforward, as it is at a lower visitor level base. However, although tourism legislation does provide some protection for sites of archaeological importance, it does not do so for important natural habitats. There is also little awareness of the environmental impacts of tourism and of alternative approaches such as eco-tourism or community-based tourism. In the Badia, archaeological attractions (such as in Disi, Moshatta, Harraneh, Amra, Azraq, Burqu’ and Um Jemal) could provide significant alternative incomes for local communities, and also incentives for the conservation of natural and heritage resources.

Population Growth, Refugee Influx and Development Pressures: Development throughout Jordan is subject to weak land use planning controls and enforcement. Thus, population growth and urban expansion has not been driven (or controlled) by strategic land use planning or indeed effective development control and enforcement. Development growth has been characterised by uncontrolled sprawl and unauthorised construction. This has had a

negative impact on biodiversity loss and indeed on the compatibility of land use activities. Similarly, for large development schemes there is an obligation under Environmental Law No. 12 (2006) to conduct EIAs, but this has not been strictly implemented by the MOE. The use of SEAs has not been adopted in Jordan as a means of informing regional land use planning decisions.

The inability to plan for population growth has been exacerbated by regional conflicts and the consequent influx of refugees, principally from the cumulative impacts of Palestinian refugees in 1948 and 1967, the return of Jordanian expatriates during the 1991 Gulf War and, more recently, refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict. This has put substantial pressure on scarce resources and directly contributed to desertification in the country. UNHCR estimated in 2013 that roughly 600,000 Syrian refugees had entered the country (constituting 10% of Jordan’s population), with some 65% living in urban areas and 35% in camps. Most have been settled in the northern governorates of Irbid, Mafraq (where Jordan’s largest refugee camp Za’atari is situated) and in Amman.

The latest influx of refugees has had a significant impact on the economy. For example, the UN Host Communities Support Platform found (in November 2013) that the Syrian refugee crisis has resulted in the abandonment of farmland in the northern parts of Jordan because of insecurity along the border, and also because of a reduction in irrigation water as more resources have been allocated for domestic use. Livestock movements across the Jordan-Syria-Iraq border area have had a particularly significant effect on the Badia rangelands. The continued insecurity in Syria has meant that the cross-border movement of Bedouin herders from winter grazing areas in Syria to summer grazing in Iraq and Jordan has been severely disrupted. The crisis has resulted in the nomadic herders abandoning their Syrian pastures and remaining all-year round on the rangelands in north-western Iraq and north-eastern Jordan, with the consequence of further overgrazing and land degradation.

Construction activities have increased rapidly in the northern governorates. In addition to the construction of new buildings, extra floors, and



extensions have been added to existing buildings. In Mafraq, for example, there has been great pressure on the governorate’s monitoring and development control staff to keep up with the town’s growth and urban expansion, which has led to an unsustainable sprawl. This has increased demand for water and resulted in pressure on the aging infrastructure network that is already struggling to deal with leakages, for example. More specifically, there is concern that water abstraction at the Za’atari Syrian Refugee Camp (where roughly 170,000 are accommodated) is depleting the local aquifer that has been used by rural communities and large-sale irrigated farms in these areas.

The northern governorates have also been experiencing growing pressure on water treatment systems and communal solid waste facilities. The influx of refugees places further pressures on an already incomplete sewage system. This includes the overuse of septic tanks, often inadequately constructed or managed, leading to increased seepage of wastewater into underground water basins. In the Azraq area a major new refugee camp is being constructed where there is little on-the-ground indication of proper wastewater treatment systems. Similarly, solid waste disposal is under severe strain especially in the Za’atari camp where inadequate rubbish disposal is likely to lead to the pollution of local water supplies. Mafraq has had to manage an estimated 50% increase in solid waste since the Syrian crisis, with insufficient resources to deal with this. This has resulted in illegal rubbish dumping, inappropriate disposal and burning of waste, which in turn contributes to water, soil and air pollution.

4.4 Economic Cost of Environmental DegradationA World Bank study in 2004 estimated that the economic cost of environmental degradation in Jordan was 3.1% of GDP annually comprising a total of JD205 million (US$300 million). Water pollution had the most significant impact on health and quality of life with a cost of 0.71–1.24% of GDP. The lack of access to potable water and sanitation, and resulting inadequate conditions of hygiene provided a direct link to high levels of illness and mortality. The damage in monetary

terms of inadequate solid waste collection, that is in turn associated with reduced land prices, was estimated at 0.11% of GDP. The impacts of air pollution that resulted in illness and mortality were estimated to be 0.69% of GDP. The costs of land degradation linked predominantly to both declines in rangeland quality and soil salinity were calculated to be 0.60% of GDP. These costs underlined the importance of SLM as a means of achieving economic sustainability, and the need to pursue it as a priority within Jordan’s political agenda.

An updated World Bank study in 2010 took into account both immediate and longer-lasting impacts of environmental damage for the year 2006. This estimated the total cost of environmental degradation to be in the range of JD143-332 million, with an average of JD237 million (US$360 million), or 2.35% of GDP in 2006. If the impact of emissions on the global environment were to be added, then the total cost to Jordan and the global community as a whole would be JD393 million (US$590 million). The most important contributor was air pollution, which accounted for 1.15% of GDP. The impact of inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene formed the second most significant factor in 2006, representing about 0.81% of GDP. The cost of the improper disposal of solid waste ranked third, followed by the environmental damage to soil conditions and the coastal zone.

4.5 Current Status of Desertification in JordanIn terms of the current status of desertification, the country can be divided into four major zones as follows:

Badia, Semi-arid and Arid Areas: This area has seen high rates of desertification and can be considered as a highly affected area. The characteristics of desertification in this zone are the absence of vegetation cover, the predominant desert pavements, and the high salt content. The desertification process has also been accelerated by low annual rainfall (<100mm). At the eastern borders with Saudi Arabia, large areas are covered by sand dunes, particularly in the areas of Wadi Rum, Ghadeer



Al Sheikh, Bayer and Mudawwara. Other parts are covered with desert pavement almost with no visible plant cover, except for the existence of some plant species along waterways.

Steppes and Rangelands Area: This area is viewed as a transitional zone of the Badia in which a previous project (JAZPP, 2000) indicated that the intensive agricultural activity of barley cultivation and irrigation was taking place and furthered desertification. The features of degradation in this zone have been the higher rates of erosion by wind and water, the substantial accumulation of calcareous silt on the soil surface, the low germination rate of plants, and a thin coverage of vegetation caused by overgrazing and poor rainfall distribution. The area is also affected by soil surface crusting that is liable to high rates of erosion and caused by the uncontrolled movement of grazing herds and vehicles. Notwithstanding this, much of this area has been seen to exhibit a high degree of resilience and recovery, especially within protected areas and rangeland reserves (Al Bakri and Abu Zanat, 2005).

Mediterranean Semi-arid and Dry Sub-humid Areas: Annual rainfall in this zone is relatively high and existing soils have developed under humid climate conditions. Nevertheless, human activities such as woodland cutting, urbanisation and land fragmentation have accelerated desertification in this area. Particular features of this include receding forest areas, high rates of water erosion, the expansion of urbanised areas (especially in high rainfall areas), a reduction in soil organic matter, and soil compaction and deterioration.

North East (Lake Tiberia to Dead Sea): This zone includes irrigated areas in the Jordan Valley and extends from Lake Tiberia in the north to the Dead Sea in the south. There are different climatic and land use features from other zones and water supply through irrigation dominates. Desertification is characterized by high rates of soil salinity as a result of improper irrigation practices, high rates of fertilisation and land abandonment in the southern areas. Generally, the process of desertification has been accelerated by socio-economic factors such as low income, improper land management, and overgrazing.

DESERTIFICATION AND SLM PLANS AND POLICIES


5. DESERTIFICATION AND SLM PLANS AND POLICIES

5.1 National Reports on UNCCD ImplementationFollowing the GOJ’s ratification of the UNCCD in 1996, awareness campaigns and workshops were carried out for the preparation of Jordan’s NAP (JNAP). In 2000 the MOA produced the first National Report on UNCCD Implementation. This followed the National Environment Strategy (NES) in 1992 and the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) in 1996. It recommended that projects to combat desertification focus on a participatory approach, poverty alleviation, local community empowerment, and the allocation of resources for conservation and environmental management. The report also proposed that UNCCD implementation be managed and coordinated by two institutions: the Higher Council for Environment Protection, as an autonomous body, and the General Corporation for Environment Protection (GCEP), which later became the MOE. The former GCEP set up the National Coordinating Body (NCB) to prepare, coordinate, and implement the JNAP.

In 2002 a second National Report on UNCCD Implementation was prepared, this time by GCEP, which outlined progress that included the establishment of the National Committee for Combating Desertification (NCCD). The important Environmental Law of 2000 (No 12) and the Agricultural Law (No 20) had been adopted, and several national sector strategies were prepared (such as for water and agriculture) (see Figure 5.2 below). Environmental awareness programmes continued under the guise of the Ministry of Education (MOEd), the media and universities. The coordination of international efforts to support the implementation was being organised by MOPIC, while national efforts continued to be managed by GCEP. The report did acknowledge that a comprehensive review of how various UNCCD projects were being implemented in an integrated way had not been done, and nor had the formulation of practical indicators to monitor implementation progress.

Notwithstanding the two National Reports, the actual means for implementing the UNCCD at the national level would be done through the National Action Plans (NAP). The Convention required countries affected by desertification to develop and implement NAPs through partnership building. The preparation process of NAPs would be based on the following principles:

• The NAP would be a ‘project support

document’, in which the country›s vision was clearly reflected;

• A resource mobilisation strategy, to be prepared as part of the NAP process, would form an effective part of the implementation phase;

• The NAP would be practical with prioritised projects set out, as part of a consultative decision-making process;

• An assessment and review of desertification control would identify project needs in terms of those that were best practice examples and discounting those likely to be unsuccessful. This process had been started with the first and the second National Reports on the Implementation of UNCCD and contributed towards defining the priority programmes; and,

• Public consultation would be carried out to identify key stakeholders, to build long-term commitment, to mobilise support, and to create consensus for action.

In 2007 a third National Report on the UNCCD Implementation was prepared by the MOE. This reported on the preparation of the JNAP, which was produced in 2006 (see sub-section below). It also reviewed the numerous national sector strategies and plans that had been prepared, which were relevant to SLM and environmental



conservation. A fourth National Report on the UNCCD Implementation was submitted in 2011, which outlined the progress in implementing the JNAP 2006 projects and the outcome of the IFS.

5.2 National Strategy and Action Plan to Combat Desertification 2006 Purpose of the JNAP: JNAP was prepared by the MOE and outlined projects and guidelines for national action. It aimed to set out an integrated development plan to combat desertification and to deal with a range of associated environmental issues and was the country’s first comprehensive plan to do so. JNAP described the institutional framework of government, the NGOs responsible for dealing with desertification issues, outlined the objectives, and addressed an approach to dealing with the problem and the required activities for combating desertification.

Objectives: The overall objective of JNAP was to provide integrated development programmes that would focus on local communities and environmental conditions in areas under the threat of desertification. The specific objectives were:

• To highlight desertification as a national priority and to integrate JNAP into national government policies;

• To ensure that JNAP preparation included a participatory approach that would commit stakeholders to project implementation; and,

• To outline measures needed to combat desertification, mitigate the effects of drought and avoid the misuse of land through effective action at all levels. This would be supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements as part of an integrated approach to achieving sustainable development in affected areas.

Report Structure: JNAP was prepared in accordance with UNCCD directives and articles and was divided into the following parts:

• An introduction that included a definition of desertification and the purpose of JNAP within the context of the UNCCD;

• A description of Jordan to include a brief analysis of the country’s climate and natural

resources. JNAP described the areas most affected by desertification in the country and identified the causes and features of it;

• A socio-economic description of Jordan to include the demography, economy, administrative structure and a sector analysis;

• A summary of the legislative framework, as relevant to land degradation, desertification and the management of natural resources, and an outline of the deficiencies and gaps in legislation;

• A description of the geographical zones affected by desertification and their key indicators; and,

• A description of programmes and projects to combat desertification, which would form an overall approach to the sustainable development and management of land resources. JNAP placed importance on preventative measures for land that had not yet been degraded.

Implementation Programmes: Six programmes were described in JNAP that set out to tackle desertification in the country. They were:

1. Setting up a Desertification Information System (DIS);

2. Drought prediction and desertification control;

3. Capacity building and institutional development;

4. Restoration of degraded ecosystems in rangelands and forests;

5. Watershed management; and,

6. Human, social and economic development initiatives.

Within these programmes were several projects that included a description of their justification, proposed activities, implementing agencies, project duration, and outline budget estimates. The Higher Council for Combating Desertification, based in the MOE, was the primary coordinating and implementing agency of the programmes and projects, and it provided updates on JNAP implementation to government institutions and the NCCD. JNAP programmes and projects are



provided in Section 10.6 of this report, and the progress achieved (up to March 2012) for each has been highlighted in yellow.

A review of national policies and legislation relevant to combating desertification was undertaken by JNAP, which identified several important omissions, contradictions and, in some cases, disincentives regarding combating desertification and land degradation. It recommended that some policies, including those on water, agriculture and land use be revised. However, one of the weaknesses of JNAP was that there was no overall comprehensive programme for implementation that set out timelines for the programmes and projects. In addition, programmes and plans had not been prioritised.

Monitoring and evaluation of JNAP progress and the subsequent impacts of interventions from the different programmes would be future tasks of the MOE, although these were not actually specified. This would be an important part of JNAP implementation, as it would provide a review mechanism for the modification of programmes, establishing priorities, and the need to implement activities based on feedback from local communities in the most affected areas. The positive outcome of JNAP is that it was a first step that could form a useful basis for the preparation of future NAPs.

5.3 Integrated Financing StrategySeveral constraints have hindered the implementation of the UNCCD in Jordan, and JNAP implementation in particular. Given this situation, GM of the UNCCD and MOPIC, in partnership with the MOE, entered into an agreement in November 2004 for the receipt of a grant from GM to support Jordan in implementing its commitments towards UNCCD. A significant part of this agreement was the preparation of the Integrated Financing Strategy (IFS) in December 2008. The IFS was developed under the supervision of MOPIC, MOE, and GM in close consultation with the NCCD.

This represented a shift in donor financing that focused on mainstreaming UNCCD issues into national development programming processes. It aimed to support the mobilisation of resources

for SLM as a means to combat desertification. The strategy therefore viewed SLM and combating desertification as part of the same scope, and regarded poverty alleviation as one tool with which to mitigate land degradation. The IFS offered a guiding framework for pursuing a mix of financial resources to fund SLM-related programmes and projects. It also identified potential barriers in resource identification, allocation and disbursement, and recommended a number of actions to overcome these barriers.

The content of the IFS comprised the following:

• A review of the national context in which the JNAP was set, including the institutional, legislative, and financial setting. The financial resources allocated to land degradation related activities were assessed in order to provide a context for funding, potential sources and final destination. This looked at how the national institutional setup affected resource mobilisation;

• Barriers to strategy implementation were highlighted and steps for strengthening the enabling environment were explored. One of the key recommendations in the IFS lay in the development of an umbrella SLM programme as a tool for mainstreaming SLM across all sectors;

• The public budgeting process was examined, including the ways in which the structure of decision-making within the budget process affected the distribution of public resources;

• Donor priorities and funding modalities were looked at so as to understand how donor programming could enable SLM to be a mainstream component. A comprehensive donor matrix was prepared, which would serve as a tool for the identification of suitable external partners’ project implementation;

• Non-traditional sources of financing were identified, some of which existed as part of the UNCCD›s sister conventions, and were therefore easily accessible. Others ‘innovative’ sources of funding were identified that had not been used for environment-related activities in Jordan; and,

• An action plan was prepared that set out key actions needed to improve resource mobilisation. The action plan is organised



according to four main outcomes with associated outputs. These are summarised in Figure 5.1 below. The action plan included responsibilities, indicators, activities, priorities, estimated budgets and risks/assumptions for the implementation of outputs. It would form the main reference point for IFS implementation.

Figure 5.1 - Summary of Main Outcomes and Outputs of IFS

Outcome 1: Enhanced Enabling Environment for Resource Mobilisation in Jordan

Outputs:

1.1. Enhanced legal framework for resources mobilisation;

1.2. Enhanced institutional framework;

1.3. Consolidated development and implementation of related policies; and,

1.4. Enhanced awareness of importance of SLM targeting decision-makers, including parliamentary committees, GBD and MOF. Economic tools should be a major instrument for awareness raising.

Outcome 2: Enhanced Mobilisation and Allocation of Internal Resources

Outputs:

2.1. Capacity building of relevant agencies in setting priorities, budget preparation and project implementation;

2.2. Capacity building of local authorities to enhance mobilisation of local resources; and,

2.3. Promote private sector investment in SLM activities by targeting private companies through their CSR policies.

Outcome 3: Enhancing Resource Mobilisation from External Sources

Outputs:

3.1 Enhance stakeholder knowledge of donor modalities, country strategy preparation, and new potential international partners; and,

3.2 Support MOPIC in enhancing effectiveness of donor-government coordination mechanism.

Outcome 4: Enhanced Mobilisation of Innovative Sources of Financing

Outputs:

4.1 Use of revolving funds as part of poverty alleviation schemes in rural areas;

4.2 Use of debt swaps to co-finance SLM programmes;

4.3 Use of climate change mechanisms, in particular special climate change fund, adaptation fund, and CDM (especially for reforestation and water efficiency projects);

4.4 Financing from Environment Compensation Unit; and,

4.5 Jordan Environment Fund.

Source: IFS Final Report (December 2008)

The Eighth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP.8 in 2007) adopted a Ten-year Strategic Plan and Framework (2008-2018), which focused on achieving four strategic objectives:

1) To improve the living conditions of affected populations;

2) To improve the condition of affected ecosystems;

3) To generate global benefits through implementation of the UNCCD; and,

4) To mobilise resources in support of implementation of the Convention by building effective partnerships between national and international actors.

The approach advocated by the GM, and adopted by the GOJ through the IFS, is viewed as being fully consistent with UNCCD’s ten-year strategy and constitutes one of the first attempts at aligning the implementation of JNAP with it.

5.4 Obligations for Conventions on Climate Change and Biodiversity The GOJ ratified the UNFCCC (on climate change) and the CBD (on biodiversity) in 1993. The MOE has been designated as the focal point for Jordan’s compliance with all three Rio Earth Summit Conventions, including for the UNCCD. The objectives of the three Conventions are often interlinked. Thus, projects and programmes outlined for compliance with UNCCD could also be effective in tackling UNFCCC and CBD objectives. Whilst ratification demonstrates a commitment



to international legislation, compliance is the real measure of how well a country is fulfilling the goals set in the Conventions.

Convention for Biodiversity: Jordan prepared the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) in 2002 in order to fulfill its obligations under CBD. Although some of the projects outlined have been implemented, full compliance has required more initiatives in terms of financial, scientific, technical, and technological capacity building. However, the legislative framework for implementation in Jordan is seen to be weak, as are measures to improve institutional coordination. Specific projects were set out in NBSAP in order to meet CBD obligations, as follows:

• Conservation of Agro-biodiversity;

• Sustainable Rangeland Management;

• National Programme for Rangeland Rehabilitation and Development;

• Rehabilitation of Biodiversity/Water Harvesting and Soil Conservation in Senfha/Tafileh; and,

• Community-Based Rangeland Rehabilitation Programme.

Convention for Climate Change: Within the context of the UNFCCC, Jordan was the third Arab country to ratify the Kyoto Protocol in January 2003. Prior to this, Jordan submitted the First National Communication report in 1998, which responded to implementation measures for the UNFCCC. This included an inventory of GHG emissions from all sectors: energy, industry, transport, agriculture, government institutions and residential development.

In 2006, the MOE prepared the Second National Communication (SNC) on GHG emissions that set out adaptation and mitigation measures for Jordan. The SNC project was designed to fulfill the following:

• To develop and enhance national capacity to meet Jordan’s commitments to the UNFCCC;

• To enhance knowledge and awareness on issues related to climate change and the reduction of GHG emissions;

• To mobilise additional resources for projects

related to climate change and the mitigation of GHG; and,

• To identify projects which could be eligible for further funding by GEF or other donor organisations.

The SNC provided an updated inventory of GHG emissions together with vulnerability and adaptation assessments according to sectors. The report set the national priorities for climate change-related actions and outlined the country’s future efforts to combat climate change and ensure the achievement of sustainable development at the national level. Jordan’s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol has enabled it to take advantage of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects, for which the three enabling activities are:

• Energy conservation and improved temperature control in buildings;

• Use of solar and wind energy in the development of remote rural areas; and

• Inventories and action plans relevant to UNFCCC communication obligations.

Designated National Authority: A national committee, the Designated National Authority (DNA), has been formed to develop project proposals and initiatives for the CDM. The DNA is chaired by the Secretary General of the MOE and has secretary general representation from the following ministries: Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR), MWI, Ministry of Transport (MOT), MOPIC, MOA, Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT), Ministry of Finance (MOF), Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MOTA). The Director General of Public Security and the President of the Royal Scientific Society would also be members of the DNA. The Climate Change Unit within the Monitoring and Assessment Directorate of the MOE would act as a permanent secretariat and technical backup to review project proposals. The Protocol entered into force in February 2005 since then Jordan has started to mobilise resources under the CDM in order to develop a number of projects.

National Environmental and Economic Development Study (NEEDS): In May 2010 a report on the National Environmental and Economic



Development Study (NEEDS) for Climate Change was submitted to the UNFCCC. This report aimed to identify financing needs that would support the implementation of adaptation and mitigation measures. It would provide opportunities for inputs to the national development plan. NEEDS was undertaken in two stages, namely stocktaking and consultation. During the stocktaking stage the GHG inventories, previous adaptation and mitigation works, national development strategies and institutional frameworks were reviewed. For the consultation process various stakeholders were involved in discussions, including national stakeholders, high-level experts and sectoral level specialists.

Two key sectors were identified for mitigation measures, the energy and waste management sectors, whilst the water resources and agricultural sector (especially rainfed crops, such as fruit trees and field crops) were concluded to be the main sectors for adaptation, or to be most vulnerable to climate change. In order to implement these mitigation and adaptation measures, it was estimated that it would cost US$3.345 billion for mitigation, and US$1.564 billion for adaptation by 2020. By 2050, it was estimated that an additional US$4.5 billion would be needed for mitigation, and US$5 billion for adaptation projects. The MOE has approached the UNFCCC to obtain funding for this.

NEEDS identified 17 proposed mitigation projects that would be implemented by 2020 in the energy and waste sectors, which would reduce annual emissions by an estimated 2.761million tonnes of CO2. Thirteen projects, allocated to the energy sector, would benefit from CDM. These included solar power facilities, wind farms and energy efficiency projects, which would be implemented by the MEMR and the National Energy Research Center (NERC). There would also be two railway projects implemented by the MOT. An additional four projects were allocated to the waste sector, which would require the installation of biogas plants in landfills.

In addition, eight proposed adaptation projects were identified by NEEDS for the agricultural sector. MOA would implement these projects by 2020, which would include water harvesting, irrigation enhancement and the rehabilitation

of rangelands, forest and arid lands. A further 17 projects were identified in the water sector to include the Red Sea to Dead Sea canal project, water loss reduction schemes and improvements to water supply, water recycling from wastewater plants, and a dam construction programme. These would be implemented primarily by MWI and JVA.

The MOE is trying to obtain high-level commitment from ministries to the NEEDS projects, for which funding would be required in order for Jordan to meet its UNFCCC obligations. Previously, GEF funded most of the projects and programmes related to climate change. Potential financing sources would come from local sources (national public budget, renewable energy fund, privatization fund, and from the private sector), regional sources (such as the Arab Fund and the Islamic Bank), and from international agencies (such as the UNFCCC funds, to include the Special Climate Change Fund and the Adaptation Fund). In addition, GEF, World Bank, UNDP, UNEP and the CDM have also been identified. On the multilateral and bilateral levels, European Commission (EC), European Investment Bank (EIB), USAID, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have also been identified as potential sources of funding.

MOPIC is the principal body responsible for strategic planning and, in conjunction with the MOE and MOF, have concluded that debt-swap for environment would be a viable option for Jordan. Consequently, as a response to Jordan’s desire to adopt international environmental agreements and conventions, the donor community has been requested to convert part of Jordan’s debt to environmental projects executed in-country. In 2013, the MOE produced the first National Climate Change Policy for the period 2013-2020, which outlined sector-based strategic guidance. This document set out some objectives for mitigation; vulnerability, impact and adaptation; as follows:

Objectives for Mitigation:

• Strengthen the promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency in Jordan, which will have a large impact on reduction of GHG emissions in the country;



• Complete the policy and legal framework for renewable energy and energy efficiency and strengthen the development, implementation, and enforcement of existing regulation (such as green building codes);

• Develop and adopt strategies in the transport sector to promote energy efficiency and low carbon transportation modes;

• Integrate climate change perspectives into solid waste and wastewater policies, strategies and action plans;

• Improve forest and rangeland management in order to increase capacity for storing GHG;

• Promote access to national and international financing for low carbon energy, and environmental technologies and projects; and

• Promote research, development, and technology transfer of mitigation measures.

Objectives for Vulnerability, Impact and Adaptation to Climate Change:

• Increase scientific knowledge of climate change vulnerability and impacts on water, agriculture/food production, health, biodiversity and desertification, with water and agriculture as the key sectors. This would include the link between climate change adaptation and disaster risk;

• Develop national and regional capacity to address climate change risks;

• Work towards integrating climate change aspects into relevant sectors’ adaptation policies and action plans;

• Strengthen the cross-sector approach to adaptation and the national institutional framework to include the National Committee on Climate Change (NCCC) and its advisory and research bodies; and

• Promote access to national and international financing for adaptation projects, including mainstreaming climate considerations into national budget allocations.

Objectives for Legal and Institutional Frameworks:

• Revise the Environmental Protection Law No. 52 of 2006 to include and strengthen the climate change articles;

• Establish a national institutional framework (such as the NCCC) for climate change mitigation and adaptation that incorporates a range of stakeholders and decision-makers, including at the local community level; and,

• Strengthen the MOE capacity for climate change to address its existing and new tasks as part of climate change policy, for which a climate change unit would be established at that ministry.

Objectives for Awareness, Education and Research in Relation to Climate Change:

• Strengthen Jordan’s research portfolio on climate change, which would help to bridge the gap between scientific research and policy makers;

• Promote environmental awareness campaigns, as part of the implementation of adaptation and mitigation measures, which would target all stakeholders; and

• Develop the curricula of vocational training and higher education so as to reflect the needs for climate change.

These objectives, set out as part of National Climate Change Policy, either overlap or reflect those related to desertification policies, as well as with objectives for the conservation of biodiversity. All three fall within the principles of SLM. This, therefore, underlines the need to integrate policies and projects in order to meet Jordan’s obligations to all three UN Conventions. Indeed, a new National Rangeland Strategy is currently being developed as part of the Agriculture Strategy and will take on board all relevant obligations of the three Rio Conventions. JNAP is being updated since 2014 so as to align with the UNCCD’s Ten-year Strategy (for 2008-2018).

5.5 National Sectoral Plans and Policies Relevant to SLMA number of national sectoral strategies, plans and policies have been produced in Jordan, all of which are relevant to SLM, to combating desertification in the country, and indeed to obligations under CBD and UNFCCC. These are summarised in Figure 5.2 below. However, it is understood that no solid waste management



strategy has so far been produced at the national level.

Figure 5.2 – National Sectoral Plans and Policies Relevant to SLM

Policy Issued by Year Integration of SLM Principles/Key Points

National Environmental Strategy (NES)

Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Environment

1992 Catalogued environmental pressures and problems. Contained more than 400 specific recommendations and suggested actions in the field of environmental protection and conservation. Identified legal and institutional strengthening in environmental sector as key priorities. Focused on cross-sectoral priorities such as water resources management. Linkages with other national policies and strategies remain weak indicating limited cross-sectoral integration of environmental principles.

Jordan was first country in the Middle East to complete NES, which included recommendations for strengthening environmental protection in the following strategic areas:

• Constructing a legal framework for environmental management, which would include a National Environmental Policy, strengthening the Ministry of Environment, and the creation of an environmental impact assessment process;

• Setting up an institutional framework for environmental protection and conservation (Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature);

• Expanding the role for protected areas through the creation of new nature reserves and increasing the environmental and conservation scope of existing managed areas;

• Increasing environmental awareness through environmental/conservation education programmes; and,

• Stemming population growth by striking a balance between population growth and the carrying capacity of the natural resource base.

One of the weaknesses of the NES was that it did not set priorities for action. The NES paved the way for the Environment Law (No.12) of 1995 and created the General Corporation for Environmental Protection (GCEP) (later to be MOE).

National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP

Ministry of Planning/ Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and the Environment

1996 Identified 41 environmental priority needs, which included those for cross-sectoral environmental management capacity building and 37 sectoral environmental actions. Three priorities were directly related to SLM: (1) development of national land use planning system; (2) preservation of forested land; and, (3) urban and regional land use planning.

NEAP’s purpose was to guide the government’s environmental policy and investment decisions and to define the priority actions (19 in total) for dealing with the major environmental issues (as determined through an intensive workshop). The main recommendations were:

• Expand the protected areas network and allow RSCN to manage the planned 12 nature reserves;

• Develop reserve management plans to support habitat conservation;

• Promote local community involvement in the development and management of environmental areas (including nature reserves);

• Undertake environmental awareness programmes to support conservation and sustainable development;

• Pursue environmental monitoring and impact assessments; and,

• Strengthen the enforcement of environmental legislation, especially to counter environmental degradation in areas such as over-pumping of water, water pollution, soil erosion, air pollution, biodiversity loss and the unauthorized expansion of urban areas.

National Water Strategy (NWS)

Ministry of Water and Irrigation

1998 The strategy stressed the need for improved water resources management with particular emphasis on the sustainability of present and future uses. Special emphasis was given to protect Jordan’s water resources against pollution, quality degradation, and depletion.

The MWI would adopt a dual approach of demand management and supply management, with advanced technology being increasingly used to enhance resource management capabilities. Water and wastewater projects associated with regional peace processes, including the scheme for the development of the Jordan Rift Valley, would be accorded special attention and due respect would be given to the provisions of international law as applicable to water sharing, protection and conservation. The strategy defined the long-term goals that the GOJ would seek in water sector and policies to meet them would focus on groundwater management, irrigation, wastewater management and water utility policies (encouraging the transfer to private sector operation to improve efficiency and performance).




National Poverty Reduction Strategy (NPRS)

Ministry of Social Development

2001 Policy objectives included improving social safety net for the poorest sections, improving employment opportunities, providing greater access to education and ensuring access to healthcare. The Poverty Reduction Strategy does not reflect a clear understanding and appreciation of the “sustainable livelihoods” concept and linkages between poverty eradication and natural resources management.

The NPRS covered a number of poverty alleviation issues but did not tackle the link between ‘sustainable livelihoods’ and natural resources management. This was considered to be a major gap in developing the NPRS although the Second National Human Development Report 2004 did address this.

National Rangeland Strategy (NRS)

(Revised draft NRS prepared in 2013 and to be launched with a view to adoption in 2014)

Ministry of Agriculture (National Rangeland Strategy Committee)

2001 and 2014

Six key policy proposals set out in the NRS as follows:

• Participation needed of those using rangelands in policy formation, strategy development and implementation;

• The rangeland tenure system needs to be changed so that users have a long-term stake in sustainable use;

• The management of change and uncertainty in rangeland conditions needs to be properly undertaken;

• The sustainable use of groundwater and the harvesting of surface water is required;

• Proposals for the rangelands need to fit with agricultural and macro-economic policies; and,

• Government support is needed for rangeland user groups.

The underlying assumption in each element of the strategy is that there must be sustainable management and use of the rangelands. Subsequently, more detailed proposals emerged from seminar discussions that were part of the NRS preparation, as follows:

• Enhancing biomass and vegetative cover of the rangelands to increase sustainable production of the rangeland;

• Increasing sustainable livestock production through the introduction of improved stock, animal husbandry and stock management;

• The need to develop alternative sources of energy and/or community fuel wood lots; and,

• Properly managing protected areas in the rangelands in order to protect bio-diversity.

National Agenda 21(NA 21)

The General Corporation for the Environment Protection (now MOE)

2002 National Agenda 21 provided a framework document that stressed combating desertification as a national priority. Proposed its integration into national policy and called for involvement of all stakeholders in the implementation of programmes and actions. Introduced ‘integrated resource management’ by linking sectors of water resource management, land resource management, agricultural resources, energy resources and mineral resources.

The outline of the NA 21 failed to integrate biodiversity issues within the ‘integrated resource management’ section, and placed biodiversity under ‘natural and cultural heritage’ providing few linkages with natural resource management.

NA 21 outlined several key areas related directly to natural resources and dryland issues, and promoted a participatory approach to ensure sustainability. It outlined an integrated approach to environment and development that incorporated objectives of poverty alleviation and sustainable human development. NA21 provided a framework for combating desertification as a national priority and promoted its integration into national policy. It proposed programmes and actions for rangeland resources; combating desertification; conserving forested areas; water conservation; conserving biodiversity; research for sustainable agriculture; data gathering and networking; and land use policy, legislation and enforcement.

NA 21 also placed concerns for human welfare at the centre of national efforts to combating desertification with linkages between desertification, poverty and food security, migration and demographic factors.




National Strategy for Agricultural Development

Higher Socio-economic Council

2002 The NSAD (2000-2010) placed a stress on sustainable agriculture and protection of natural resources. Comprehensive and covered most issues of biodiversity conservation and sustainable use in addition to combating desertification. Proposed the following:

• Conservation of land, water and natural vegetation through sustainable activities that ensured long-term agricultural production;

• Conservation of Jordan’s biodiversity in conjunction with sustainable agricultural development;

• Improvement of the technical and managerial capabilities of the agricultural sector to cope with climate and environmental changes and adapt to their consequences;

• Halting unplanned expansion of urban areas on agricultural land which contravene current legislation of prohibiting building on agricultural land (through denial of services to these buildings);

• Combating desertification and protecting the environment, agro- biodiversity and agricultural resources, in order to secure sustained development; and,

• Conservation of agricultural land by controlling soil erosion in steep mountainous areas, through improved agricultural practices and water conservation measures.

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

Ministry of Environment

2002 Proposed projects come under the five following categories which have strong linkages with SLM principles:

• Protection and sustainable use of biological resources;

• Reducing the impact of mining on biodiversity;

• Promoting integration of land use planning and water resources;

• Development within the existing land tenure system; and,

• Working towards a biodiversity-oriented society.

The NBSAP was formulated in response to the obligations of UN Convention on Biodiversity and was developed as a guide to the implementation of national biodiversity conservation. The strategic goals of NBSAP were:

• To conserve biodiversity and use biological resources in a sustainable manner;

• To improve the understanding of ecosystems and increase resource management capability;

• To manage natural resources and distribute responsibilities across agencies;

• To maintain or develop incentives and legislation that supports the sustainable use of biological resources; and

• To share biodiversity conservation knowledge with other countries.

National Population Strategy

Higher Council for Population

2002 The National Population Strategy included seven strategic sections with one section focusing on ‘Population, the environment and natural resources’. Main objectives of this section included:

• Reducing the imbalance between water supply and demand;

• Reducing the imbalance between the local demand for and the local supply of food products;

• Increasing the level of efficiency in the utilization of local energy resources;

• Achieving a better balance between population size and environmental conditions, where the population in the arid zone is characterized by a high birth rate; and,

• Achieving a better balance in the geographical distribution of the population between urban and rural areas.




National Tourism Strategy (NTS)

Ministry of Tourism 2004 The NTS set out a mission that «Jordan will develop a sustainable tourism economy through a partnership of government, the private sector and civil society to expand employment, entrepreneurial opportunity, social benefits, industry profits, and state revenue». The strategy stated that tourism development will be sustainable and characterized by:

• Preserving the environment and adopting ecologically sound policies;

• Respecting the lifestyles and cultures of the people and communities; and,

• Balancing the principles of profits with the need for socially responsible business practices.

The strategy does not take into consideration some basic sustainable tourism principles such as carrying capacity, conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, developing guidelines for management of natural heritage sites, and considering ecotourism sites as assets.

The NTS for 2004‐2010 relied on private‐sector initiatives to develop tourism into a major income‐generating sector. Whilst the NTS placed an emphasis on ecotourism, it did not address the need to monitor or measure the impact of tourism on biodiversity, for example. The strategy did highlight the importance that community-based tourism would play.

National Youth Strategy (NYS)

Higher Council for Youth

2004 The NYS included nine themes including one on ‘youth and environment’. Key strategic objectives of this theme included:

• Enhancing environmental knowledge between youth and its accessibility to educational needs with a special focus on early stages of education;

• Increasing the impact of youth in developing and implementing national environmental policies and programmes; and,

• Maximizing the role of youth in sustainable use of environmental resources for socio-economic development.

National Energy Strategies

The Royal Commission and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources

2006 and 2007

The 2006 National Energy Strategy focused on the development of renewable and sustainable energy sources and linkages between environmental protection and the transition to sustainable energy. It did not include issues of climate change and the opportunities for both environmental protection and sustainable energy through the Kyoto Protocol. However, the strategy is considered to provide a suitable road map for sustainable energy production and consumption.

The main goals of the energy strategy were to:

• Diversify local energy resources;

• Increase the potential contribution of local energy resources to national demand;

• Reduce dependency on oil imports; and,

• Enhance environmental protection.

An updated Master Strategy of Energy Sector for the period 2007-2020 was prepared in 2007 by The Royal Commission. Whilst not directly linked to climate change obligations, the following proposals were related to GHG mitigations and some adaptation measures:

• Alternatives to crude oil and oil byproducts supply;

• Proceed with a renewable energy law to stimulate the private sector to increase its investments in this field;

• Implement wind energy projects for electricity generation;

• Complete necessary studies for thermal solar energy projects;

• Focus studies on biogas fuel for the industrial and transport sector;

• Create a fund to aid renewable energy projects; and,

• Implement Energy Consumption Efficiency Programmes.




National Agenda National Agenda Steering Committee

2006 The National Agenda was a comprehensive political and socio-economic reform plan, which sought to achieve a consistent and consensual basis for broad-ranging policies for the period 2006-2015. Sustainable national development was the aim, although there were ambitious targets to reach GDP of 7-8% by 2012 and 2017 (from 5% in 2004), greatly reducing the rate of poverty, a slashing of public debt and unemployment, and significant increases in spending on health care and education.

A number of initiatives were outlined to address ‘Environmental protection and Sustainability’ as follows:

• Strengthening the regulatory and institutional framework to support environmental sustainability;

• Improving waste management policies;

• Strengthening measures to improve air pollution; and,

• Improving the effective management of nature reserves.

It contained a specific section on environmental sustainability including arid/desertified zones and focused on six issues including desertification and sustainable land management. In this respect policy and proposals for sustainable land management and desertification were:

• Survey and define criteria for desertification hazards and map these accordingly;

• Establish a desertification monitoring system;

• Conduct socio-economic surveys in drought-threatened areas;

• Establish alternative livelihood measures that could provide incomes in drought prone areas; and,

• Document traditional knowledge on soil protection measures and combating desertification.

National Strategy and Action Plan for Drought Mitigation

Ministry of Agriculture

2007 Established a high committee headed by the Prime Minister to follow-up on drought mitigation measures with emphasis on training and capacity building of members.

The aim of this strategy is to supervise the effects of drought occurrence and establishing standards for declaring drought. Training programmes on drought issues and drought mitigation and capacity building were included in this strategy. However, there was little progress on the activation of early warning systems and identification of regional and national networks for monitoring/assessing drought.




National Capacity Self Assessment for Global Environmental Management (NCSA


2007 The NCSA was developed within the framework of a GEF initiative in order to assess capacity constraints for implementing the three international environmental conventions on biodiversity, climate change and desertification. It included suggested strategic programmes and actions evolving from the analysis of national capacity constraints. The NCSA action plan covers six programmes for cross-cutting capacity constraints:

• Knowledge management, outreach and networking;

• Technical training and technology transfer;

• Developing and maintaining a national coordination mechanism;

• Using research for policy making;

• Resource mobilization; and,

• Local community empowerment.

A total of 20 suggested projects were developed. Those that related to desertification (that covered the requirements of the three international environmental conventions) were:

• An integrated knowledge management system;

• A comprehensive outreach and networking programme;

• An integrated public awareness and education programme;

• A technology-needs assessment;

• A comprehensive training programme on priority technical concepts;

• A sustainable coordination mechanism between implementing institutions;

• Technical directives for biodiversity, desertification and rehabilitation of degraded lands as part of the EIA process;

• National assessments for adaptation measures to climate change for biodiversity and desertification;

• Market-based economic tools for environmental management for biodiversity, desertification and climate change; and,

• Comprehensive capacity building and innovation programmes for community management of natural resources based on traditional knowledge.

Hashemite Fund for Development of Jordan Badia Master Plan

The Hashemite Fund for Development of Jordan Badia

2008 The plan highlighted the socio-economic challenges in the Badia and their integration to natural resources management with a focus on water and rangeland resources. Proposed diversification of sources of income and exploring alternative income earning possibilities in the Badia to reduce dependence on livestock keeping. This will reduce some pressures on the rangelands and help to ease land degradation from overgrazing. It included nine specific themes including one theme on ‘youth and environment’.

State of the Environment Report (SOER)


2008 Jordan’s first SOER that complies with Article 4 of the Environment Protection Law No. 52 (2006) and adopts the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) latest methodology ‘Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR)’. The principal objectives of the SOER were: to present key information on the State of the Environment in Jordan for 2006; to raise environmental awareness; and, finally to contribute towards a State of the Art Environmental Database.

The final section outlined some ‘suggested policies’ that would form part of the Executive Strategic Plan, prepared by the MOE for 2007-2010. This included seven strategic objectives that covered improvements to air quality (mainly by reducing unleaded gasoline), water quality, waste management (solid, hazardous, medical and chemical), nature and biodiversity conservation, measures to combat desertification, promote clean industry and green production, enhance environmental management and establish the Environmental Protection Fund.




National Strategy for Agricultural Development (NSAD)

Ministry of Agriculture

2009 The NSAD (2009-2014) focused on the role of agricultural development in conserving biodiversity, protecting water and soil resources and combating desertification. To this end policies were oriented towards the protection of agricultural resources, increasing grain and fodder production, intensifying water harvesting/maintaining water resources to face drought conditions, improving family food security and limiting rural poverty, enhancing agricultural research (especially into plant protection), and supporting programmes initiated by the Agricultural Credit Corporation (for micro-credit financing). Projects were also identified to protect forests, including reforestation schemes, and to expand and rehabilitate grazing lands in arid areas, as the development of water harvesting techniques and reducing water loss/enhancing irrigation channels. Agriculture was seen to be able to renew and sustain the environmental balance. To this end it was recognised, that the growth of organic farming could play a role in reducing chemical usage and its negative effects on biodiversity and the environmental balance.

The MOA and the National Center for Agricultural Research and Guidance would have prime responsibility for implementing the projects and programmes. The Agricultural Credit Corporation (ACC) would receive funding to support micro-credit financing. The private sector was seen to play an increasingly important role in agricultural development within the NSAD, including in water resource development.

National Water Master Plans and Strategies

Ministry of Water and Irrigation/Jordan Water Authority

2004 and 2009

Three national water master plans strategies have been produced since the first in 1998. In 2004 the National Water Master Plan was prepared which provided more of a focus on environmental impact than before. Subsequently, the Jordan Water Authority produced a strategic plan for 2008-2012, which focused on operational efficiency.

In 2008 a new national water plan, ‘Water for Life 2008-2022’, incorporated climate change obligations into its strategy and policies, especially the prospect for reduced water resources in future.

Protected Areas Policy Framework

(In draft form and not yet adopted)


2010 The policy framework relates to country’s designated Protected Areas (PA) system. The key principles behind the policy framework are as follows:

1. The protection of the country’s major ecosystems is of the highest national development priority;

2. Conservation of the areas of natural heritage and biological diversity play an essential role in global responsibility towards the nature conservation;

3. Protection of cultural heritage is a critical contribution towards maintaining cultural identity and tourism development;

4. The conservation and management of natural and cultural resources must include the participation of local communities; and,

5. It is critical that citizens are educated about ecosystems and their cultural heritage so that the local population can benefit from them.

Some of the key policies were as follows:

1. Private and community managed areas could be officially recognised as part of the PAs system;

2. Climate change sensitive environmental and socio economic monitoring and evaluation systems needs to be put in place parallel to PAs planning;

3. h tourism is a primary PA activity, then the site should be managed using ecotourism and sustainable tourism principles;

4. PAs will demonstrate a commitment to increasing environmental awareness; and,

5. A participative management plan will be prepared for each JPA.




Environmental Strategy Implementation Plan (ESIP)


2007 and 2011

The ESIP constitutes a new NEAP to replace that originally prepared in 1996. The first ESIP was produced in 2007 for the period 2007-2010 and the second updated version covered 2011-2013.

The ESIP has been tied in with climate change issues and had outlined seven strategic objectives: (1) contribute to the achievement of sustainable development; (2) develop and implement policies and legislation; (3) enhance monitoring, inspection and enforcement of legislation; (4) develop and implement information management programmes; (5) raise public awareness and education; (6) promoting national, regional and international cooperation; and (7) develop and strengthen the capacity of the MOE.

The second ESIP made the link between climate change and desertification by proposing to protect ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity, combat desertification and promote sustainable land management. More specifically the ESIP proposed a project in the Zarqa River Basin as part of its adaptation to climate change and to meet the MDGs.

NB: Table taken from IFS report (December 2008) and updated with additional comments and information. IFS comments are shown in italics and additional comments and observation are shown in normal text.

5.6 Important Desertification and SLM ProjectsThere are a number of projects that have been undertaken which have shown some success in improving environmental conditions and combating desertification. These are summarised below.

Badia Ecosystem and Livelihoods Project: BELP is one of five projects under the Middle East and North Africa Desert Ecosystems and Livelihoods Program (MENA-DELP). MENA-DELP, funded by GEF and the World Bank, started in November 2011. It included four national pilot projects in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan and Morocco and involved regional knowledge sharing. The purpose of MENA-DELP was to improve desert livelihood opportunities and increase the adaptation responses of desert communities and ecosystems to climate change impacts.

BELP‘s primary development objective was to support sustainable livelihoods and promote integrated ecosystem management through participatory approaches and capacity building in selected areas of the Jordan Badia. The fulfilment of this objective would be measured by the following key indicators:

• The amount of additional ecotourism-related income for communities along the Al Azraq/Shaumari to Burqu‘ corridor; and

• The area of rangelands (hectares) managed by communities in a sustainable biodiversity-friendly manner in Al Jafr and Al Husseinieh.

The project focused on three ‘poverty pockets’

in the Badia: in the south, the Al Jafr and Al Husseinieh sub-districts within the Ma’an Governorate; and, in the north, ecotourism activities would be implemented along a corridor from Al Azraq (in Zarqa Governorate, south east of Amman) to the Burqu’ Protected Area in the east (in Mafraq Governorate), which would focus on Ar Ruwaished communities. BELP comprised three project components described below.

Component 1: Community-Centered Ecotourism in the Northern Badia: The project would expand ecotourism into northeastern Badia by using the RSCN-managed Al Azraq and Shaumari reserves as a starting point, from which a 250km long ecotourism corridor would be developed incorporating the Burqu‘ Protected Area.

Component 2: Adapted Rangeland Management and Alternative Livelihoods Support in the Southern Badia: This component would pilot sustainable rangeland management models for local communities by involving them directly in the design and implementation of natural resources management. In tandem with the first component, investment would be geared towards alternative livelihood options. This component was implemented by the project’s implementing agency, the National Center for Agriculture Research and Extension (NCARE), who contracted the Hashemite Fund for the Development of the Jordan Badia (HFDJB) to execute the community engagement and



alternative livelihoods work. The component supported the following sub-components: water harvesting; adaptive rangeland management; and, alternative livelihoods.

Component 3: Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation: A project management unit (PMU) was established in NCARE. The PMU received guidance from a high level steering committee and had a technical working group in support.

The beneficiaries of the project would include the communities of Ar Ruwaished, Al Jafr and Al Husseinieh who would benefit from knowledge of implementing more sustainable management approaches of the natural resources, on which their livelihoods were dependant. They would also benefit from a variety of income-generating activities, focused on ecotourism and local product development and processing; and, would receive grant resources for micro business development, adapted rangeland management, and improved animal watering and fodder production.

Conclusion from ESIA: The Environmental and Social Impact Analysis (ESIA) of BELP concluded that the project would be highly positive from an environmental standpoint if implemented as planned. Therefore, by its nature BELP was expected to result in positive impacts on the environment and living conditions of targeted beneficiaries. Some potentially negative environmental impacts were expected to be minor, temporary and site-specific and would be mitigated by implementing the proposed Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP). The ESMP, that formed part of the ESIA, was to be adopted prior to the implementation of any subsequent investment. Training and capacity strengthening would be needed through project implementation with selected communities in order to ensure compliance with the safeguard policies.

Badia Research and Development Program: BDRP was implemented by the Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST) and attracted significant research in the northern and northeastern parts of the Badia, where rainfall is less than 200mm and an arid climate is predominant. This research focused on the

assessment of rangeland resources, mapping of vegetation and water resources, and an analysis of socio-economic conditions. In addition, implementation of water harvesting techniques and restoration approaches were studied. An important outcome from BDRP was local community capacity building, including researchers from local communities who were able to pursue postgraduate studies related to desertification and dryland degradation.

National Soil Mapping and Land Use Project: The MOA, the Royal Jordanian Geographic Centre and Huntings Technical Service carried out the National Soil Mapping and Land Use Project (NSMLUP) during 1989-1995. These maps were prepared according to land quality in which the physical and chemical properties of soil, rainfall, temperature and land capability were evaluated. A suitability rating was coded for different land utilisation types including rainfed arable, rainfed trees, irrigation, forest and rangelands with controlled grazing. The approach was based on biophysical factors and did not account for socio-economic aspects or the possible scenarios of policy and land use planning options.

The identification and mapping of soils and land uses have been seen as being useful in linking land character and usage in relation to desertification. Generally, the soil’s sensitivity to degradation is widely dependant on its physical, chemical, and biological quality. Soil resilience is highly affected by its initial condition and distribution. Therefore, details of soil types and their distribution are needed before setting any sustainable programmes related to monitoring and management of land resources. These soil maps were produced using the USDA classification system at three levels:



Figure 5.3 - Land Regions in Jordan (NSMLUP)

• Level 1: Reconnaissance maps at a scale of 1:250,000 for the whole country. This was based on the analysis of Landsat TM imagery and aerial photography;

• Level 2: Maps at a scale 1: 50,000 that covered 9,000km2. Maps were based on panchromatic SPOT imagery digitally merged with Landsat TM; and,

• Level 3: Detailed maps at a scale of 1:10,000 that covered selected parts of the country (for about 1,000km2). This was based on interpretations of panchromatic aerial photography at 1:10,000 with a soil series forming the basic mapping units.

Soil maps at Levels 1 and 2 have been digitally converted. At the country level, 18 land regions were identified by the NSMLUP (see Figure 5.3 above). The following conclusions can be drawn from the soil data collected:

• Most of the soils are arid with a high carbonate content and have low organic matter;

• Sand and silt deposits dominate most of the low rainfall zones;

• Good quality soils cover only small parts of the country and have been affected by the spread of urbanisation; and,



• A comprehensive and updated soil database is needed in order to maintain an understanding of the desertification process.

The importance of this project was that it produced a useful mapped and digitised information basis for assessing desertification. What is now required is that it incorporates other information useful to assess desertification, that detailed maps are produced covering the entire country and that information is regularly updated.

Hammad Basin Development Programme: During the 1980s the GOJ in cooperation with Bedouin tribes, made major strides in grazing and wildlife management in the rangelands. The Hammad Basin Development Programme started in 1987, which implemented a system of rotating grazing reserves whereby areas showing signs of degradation were restricted from grazing for some years until the vegetational cover was restored. The establishment of grazing and wildlife reserves has been accompanied by a variety of programmes to conserve biodiversity and rangeland resources. Subsequently, a new development project of rangeland community-based reserves has been introduced by the Badia Research and Development Center (BRDC), which in conjunction with MOA, NCARTT (now NCARE), and Lands and Survey Department, has sought to address issues of livestock needs, resource depletion and land tenure.

Ecotourism Projects: MOTA has been pursuing sustainable tourism, and more specifically eco-tourism, as a way forward for the tourism sector. In this respect, it has adopted the Dana Nature Reserve (managed by RCSN) as a model for other areas in the country. The Azraq Wetland Reserve in the eastern desert is another site of global significance for biodiversity, which has also achieved some success in conservation and ecotourism terms. With financial assistance from GEF, Azraq has developed bird-watching facilities, outreach and education programmes with local communities, and has established a number of reserve-based socio-economic activities, most of which are related to tourism. Eco-tourism attractions have also been introduced to the Petra and Wadi Rum areas. In Petra, a wildlife management plan was drafted in 2000 (with the

US National Parks Service), whilst in Wadi Rum a conservation-oriented management plan was prepared with local communities.

The RSCN is also implementing a number of conservation programmes for areas that are tourism attractions, such as the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Dibeen Nature Reserve. This project intends to build capacity in forest management and conservation planning. Specific objectives have been to implement a conservation management plan and eco‐tourism development plan; to develop an effective nature reserve and forest park management team; and, to produce a land use plan for the regional forest park. Limited manpower is a key issue as RSCN manages five reserves and helps to run a sixth (in Wadi Rum with Aqaba Regional Authority). Staff resources are overloaded and unable to properly cover for all sites.

Agricultural Resource Management Project: The Agricultural Resource Management Project Phase II (ARMP-II) incorporates a community-based participatory approach at its core, which builds on the first phase, the Agricultural Resource Management Project in the Governorates of Karak and Tafila (completed in 2003). ARMP-II started in 2005 and is due to be finished in 2015. The key international funders of the project are GEF (US$6.4 million), the OPEC Fund for International Development (US$10.3 million) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) loan/grant (US$11.8 million), with a total cost of US$42 million. The GOJ is contributing roughly US$10 million and other beneficiaries/contributors have provided roughly US$1.5 million. IFAD are implementing the project in conjunction with other executing partners in Jordan, principally the MOA but also MOPIC, MOE and MWI.

The second phase of the project will benefit 22,300 households (population 135,000) or 75% of the total rural population of the Southern Highlands (and the three governorates of Karak, Tafila and Ma’an), one of Jordan’s poorest regions, by improving food, water security, and income levels. The project is being implemented under seven components: soil and water; agricultural development; tree planting; new agricultural roads; rural finance (through the ACC); community development; and, mainstreaming sustainable



land and water management practices.

In order to promote community development and the efficient use and improved management of soil and water resources, the project has adopted a community-based participatory approach. For example, communities elaborate and implement their own village development programmes, and establish criteria for identifying poor and disadvantaged households. Community action plans have been prepared for 55 villages. The project provides technical and financial support for soil and water conservation and improved agricultural production. It promotes participatory sustainable land, water management practices, and environmental monitoring.

Water is a principal project focus and includes water harvesting, maintenance of springs, water recycling, construction of canals, and the reduction of water loss. The project supports

rural microfinance and aims to strengthen the capacity of local institutions. There has also been an emphasis on agro-biodiversity (through ICARDA). One of the project outcomes that could be used elsewhere is the Valiarana tractor, which has been seen to dramatically increase yields by plowing deep furrows to follow the topography of slopes. A hima approach to land management will be adopted in the project through IUCN and NCARE. Since the Syrian Crisis, there have been delays to project implementation, especially for 2013, whilst awaiting decisions from the MOF on allocation of the GOJ’s contribution to the project. A seventh project component (Mainstreaming Sustainable Land and Water Management Practices) started in mid-2009 and will be completed in mid-2015. It is funded by GEF (US$6.445 million) and also implemented by IFAD.

Figure 5.4 – Summary of Key Projects Related to Desertification and SLM

Projects Undertaken for SLM and UNCCD

Area Key Project Agencies

Project Date UNCCD Main Research Theme*

National Soil Map and Land Use Project (NSMLUP)

All Jordan at scale of 1:250,000. High rainfall zone at 1:50,000

MOA 1989-1995 1 and 2

Hammad Basin Projects North East Badia MOA 1986-1990 1 and 2 Badia Research and Development Program (BDRP)

North and North East Badia

HCST Started in 1992 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8

Jordan Arid Zone Pro-ductivity Project

Badia Transitional Zone (100-250 mm rainfall)

UOJ 1995-2000 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8

Sustainable Rangeland Management Project (SRMP)

Badia area (community participation).

MOA (CIDA funded) 1998-2000 2, 3 and 5

National Program for Rangeland Rehabilita-tion and Development (NPRRD) – Phase 1

Badia area (community participatory approach-es).

MOA(IFAD loan)

1998- ongoing 2, 3 and 5

Reviving Hima Sites in Zarqa River Basin

Four Communities in the Zarqa Area

MOA and IUCN (EU funded)

Completed 2013 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8

Rehabilitation of Zarqa River

Zarqa River MOE 2008-2020 1, 3, 5 and 8

Assessment of Deserti-fication

Yarmouk Basin MOE, UOJ and NCARE 2009-2012 1, 6 and 8



Projects Undertaken for SLM and UNCCD

Area Key Project Agencies

Project Date UNCCD Main Research Theme*

Agricultural Resource Management Project (ARMP) – Phase II

Southern Highlands GEF/IFAD, OPEC, MOA 2009-2015 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

Badia Restoration Program

North East Badia MOE Ongoing 2, 3 and 5

Ecotourism Projects Dana, Azraq, Dibeen, Wadi Rum and Petra

MOTA and RCSN Ongoing 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8

Badia Ecosystem and Livelihoods Project (BELP)

Badia MOE, GEF and World Bank

Started in 2011 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7

* Main areas of policy-oriented research:

1- Mapping of desertification

2- Rangeland ecology, degradation and restoration

3- Sustainable Land Management (SLM)

4-Political dimension of desertification

5- Socioeconomic processes and desertification

6- Droughts and desertification

7- Desertification, climate change and biodiversity

8- Monitoring and assessment.

Source of Information: Developing Policy-Oriented Research Guidelines, Procedures and Tools to Support Implementing Rio Conventions in Jordan. Prepared by the Science Triangle for Research Training and Management (January 2012). Amended and updated.

Comments and Recommendations: There is a need for a clear national policy on SLM and its integration with land use planning in the country. This could be done as part of the national five-year plans in conjunction with a national policy statement on SLM and its relevance to Jordan’s obligations to UNCCD, UNFCC and CBD. This would help to provide a cohesive national approach to SLM that would provide consistency throughout all the national sectoral plans and policies, as well as guidance for national budgeting priorities.

UN Habitat has prepared a Concept Note on a National Strategy for Spatial Planning Project

(2013). A TOR is now under preparation for a study to review spatial planning and its effectiveness in being able to address the development pressures that the country is facing. This would be a good place to start in integrating SLM into national spatial planning policies.

POTENTIAL JNAP PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS


6. POTENTIAL JNAP PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders that could participate in the implementation of the preparation and implementation of a revised JNAP are described below and sub-divided according to government agencies and ministries, semi-governmental agencies (thus, part funded by the public sector), research institutes, and non-government organisations (NGOs).

6.1 Government Agencies and MinistriesGovernment agencies and ministries, which cover responsibilities for SLM and combating desertification are described below.

Ministry of Agriculture: MOA is responsible for formulating and implementing national agricultural policies and programmes in order to achieve agricultural growth through the best use of land, water,

and plant resources. It also collects and maintains statistical and economic data on agriculture (such as livestock numbers in the Badia) and on land use and land degradation (through Badia studies and research). MOA holds the Jordan Soil and Climate Information System (JOSCIS).

MOA has implemented a range of SLM projects and activities:

• Rangeland development and management (through its Directorate of Rangelands) with the preparation of annual plans, regulation and protection of reserve areas. MOA has implemented projects in cooperation with donor agencies, such as the Sustainable Rangeland Management Project, the Desertification Initiative and the National Program for Rangeland Rehabilitation and Development;

• Forest surveys, forest protection and fire fighting, seedlings production, re-forestation programmes (including for roadsides and highways) through its Forestry Department (FD). The FD has the national mandate to protect forests and has a law enforcement role to do so; and,

• Soil conservation, land reclamation and water harvesting (through its Agricultural Extension Directorate, Biodiversity Unit and the Seed Centre).

Ministry of Environment: The MOE is responsible for planning, promoting, and coordinating environmental activities throughout the country. It was initially set up as GCEP in 1996 (under the Environment Law of 1995) and was then established as a ministry in 2003 when its remit was expanded. This now includes the pursuit of sustainable development, environmental conservation and nature protection; environmental and public awareness programmes; and, the management of a framework for environmental impact and control (EIAs, EMPs, monitoring pollution, hazardous waste disposal and environmental effects). For example, the MOE monitors the quality of surface water in the natural environment and industrial wastewater discharged into watercourses in order to meet its mandate for environmental protection.

The MOE leads two of the national coordinating bodies: the NCCD and the National Committee for Biodiversity (NCB). These two committees coordinate efforts for combating desertification and the protection of biodiversity through the implementation of national strategies and plans and are responsible for meeting Jordan’s obligations to the UNCCD and CBD. This is done through the MOE’s Directorate of Nature Protection (DNP) as the focal point for both the UNCCD and the CBD, which is also in charge of the preparation of environmental plans for



nature conservation, the protection of natural resources, and the determination of best use of land. However, the MOE does not have sufficient resources to be able to manage the coordination of inputs to fulfill Jordan’s obligations to both Conventions.

Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation: MOPIC is responsible for coordinating development planning and socio-economic policies, and to integrate international donor financing with Jordan’s development priorities. MOPIC is the primary catalyst for networking and liaison among international donors, local ministries, and governmental institutions for the funding and coordination of national monetary policy with development strategies and programmes. It obtains and manages the necessary funds for development projects through loans, grants and technical assistance, in conjunction with the MOF and the General Budget Department (GBD). MOPIC also manages domestic and external public debt with the MOF. It coordinates with the GBD during the preparation of the National Capital Budget in order to ensure compliance with long and short-term development strategies and programmes. The ministry would play a primary role in JNAP’s programming and implementation through its links with donor agencies and other ministries.

MOPIC has established a Government-Donor Coordination Working Group (GDCWG) to enable greater integration and discussion on key priority sectors with the major donors and stakeholders. The group has direct links to SLM concerns through sub-groups of water and agriculture, environment, poverty alleviation/local development, and trade and investment. The ministry ensures that project deadlines and objectives are met, including those related to the MDGs. MOPIC’s Projects Department receives and studies financing requests, and monitors projects that have received funding with follow-up reports, field visits and direct liaison with executing parties. The Environment Section and the Water and Agriculture Section of MOPIC’s Projects Department are in charge of follow-up projects and activities related to SLM.

Ministry of Finance: MOF is responsible for the implementation of government fiscal policy.

It therefore collects public revenues, manages the cash flow, and supervises the disbursement of national public expenditure according to financial regulations. MOF is responsible (through the GBD) for the preparation of the annual budgets and ensuring that funding allocations match national economic and financial policies. Furthermore, it is in charge of examining requests for the allocation of funding submitted by all governmental agencies and can amend the amounts requested. It has a key role in monitoring public expenditure by reviewing the financial reports that are submitted monthly by government ministries.

Ministry of Water and Irrigation: MWI is responsible for the overall planning, policy formulation and strategy development for the water resources sector. Thus, the ministry oversees national activities in the following:

• Groundwater and surface water development, irrigation use and sets limits for the abstraction of water;

• Formulation of the national water resources development plan;

• Determines the water balance for basins and for possible inter-basin transfers; and,

• Negotiates with neighbouring countries for shared water use and the implementation of joint water resources.

Two other agencies in the water resources sector, namely the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) and the Jordan Valley Authority (JVA), act as executing bodies and operate under the umbrella of MWI. The Minister of MWI heads their boards of directors.

Water Authority of Jordan: WAJ is responsible for providing water and sewage services throughout Jordan and for managing water resources. This includes the following principal activities:

• Conserving water resources, and determining priorities for their use;

• Developing new resources, increasing capacity and improving quality;

• Protecting water from pollution;

• Outlining plans and programmes to meet future needs;



• Regulating the construction of wells, drilling exploratory wells and licensing drilling rigs;

• Constructing, operating and maintaining public sewerage projects;

• Undertaking research and studies into water quality standards; and,

• Regulating the use of water, reducing water loss and controlling its waste.

Jordan Valley Authority: JVA is charged with the development of agriculture and water resources in the Jordan Rift Valley, which extends from the Yarmouk River in the north to the Red Sea in the south. It manages the area’s rivers, dams and reservoirs, protects water and land resources; develops water resources for agricultural use (including the provision of irrigation channels), as well as for domestic, industrial and municipal activities; and, invests in hydropower generation and water conservation.

Ministry of Social Development: MOSD carries out activities and programmes related to the family, local societal development and poverty alleviation, with a strong focus on human development objectives. Since the adoption of the New Policy Agenda by the World Bank/IMF, the government (including MOSD) has been required to provide the infrastructure to implement developmental projects rather than solely executing them. Greater roles have therefore been given to NGOs and civil society to implement projects with MOSD providing more of an enabling role, such as by providing financial assistance to the poorer sections of society.

Ministry of Municipal Affairs: MOMA supervises all activities related to municipality administration. It implements local development projects and coordinates the activities and plans of councils in order to bring them into line with national development policy. The ministry provides technical, financial and administrative guidance and advice for municipal councils in order to ensure that they comply with national laws and regulations.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities: MOTA is responsible for tourism policy and for the protection of sites of archaeological and heritage importance. Ministerial policy is increasingly geared towards sustainable tourism, especially

ecotourism, in order to protect natural resources and areas of environmental sensitivity, and to develop this market as a growing attraction for visitors. MOTA works with RCSN in the management of designated nature reserves, which are also tourism attractions.

Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources/Natural Resources Authority: NRA forms part of the MEMR and is responsible for undertaking the following activities:

• Investigating and developing energy and mineral resources;

• Overseeing and administering mineral resource laws and regulations;

• Issuing permits and licences for prospecting and mining, and the associated mineral rights certificates;

• Supervising all hydrocarbon activities in Jordan, including granting concessions;

• Identifying sites for dams and water collecting ponds for water harvesting and groundwater recharge (for mining use);

• Supporting soil rehabilitation projects; and,

• Promoting investment opportunities in mining.

Housing and Urban Development Corporation: HUDC implements the National Housing Strategy and is responsible for drafting the necessary housing legislation. It carries out surveys for the development of new residential areas and conducts studies in order to determine housing needs. HUDC also seeks to reduce random and illegal building construction, and to provide residents with suitable standards of housing. It facilitates loans for the residents of housing and urban development projects.

Conclusions and Recommendations: The ministries described above have their own internal funding resources and links to donor agencies, all of which could be directed towards SLM projects. Their policies and project implementation have a bearing on issues of SLM and desertification. However, MOPIC and MOF, with their direct links to the GBD (and donor agencies and line ministries) would have a strong coordination role in overall JNAP programming and implementation.



The prime responsibility for the technical coordination of SLM and desertification projects would still rest with the MOE and its responsibilities in fulfilling Jordan’s UNCCD and CBD obligations. However, the MOE is unable to mobilise sufficient resources to fulfill these requirements and would need further support. In addition, MOA and MWI would also have a strong influence on the JNAP’s implementation. MOA would probably continue to hold the most comprehensive database relevant to SLM. It would therefore probably be responsible for the information management system that would be critical in monitoring JNAP project and programme effectiveness.

MOSD should play a key role in incorporating poverty alleviation more into environmental projects, and therefore strengthening the link between livelihood improvements and promoting SLM. Similarly, MOTA have an important role in enhancing the connection between ecotourism, natural resource conservation and alternative livelihoods in the tourism sector. Government agencies such as JVA, WAR, HUDC and MEMR should also ensure the effective implementation of JNAP plans within their own sector of operations.

6.2 Semi-governmental Agencies and Research InstitutesThere are numerous research institutes and semi-government agencies that are involved in the environmental and SLM sector. Those described below are probably the best known.

Higher Council for Science and Technology: HCST was established in 1987 as an independent government funded agency for all science and technology activities in Jordan. The Council aims to build a science and technology base for the country and to undertake research and development activity in line with national development objectives. HCST membership representation includes MOPIC, MOF, MOA and MEMR. HCST have been involved in the Badia Research and Development Program since 1993.

Badia Research and Development Centre: BRDC is a research centre that focuses on the integrated management, community development, and

environmental conservation of the Badia. BRDC is the result of a partnership between HCST and the UK’s Royal Geographical Society and Durham University. It has been working on the Badia Research and Development Program since 1993 in order to promote sustainable development and to combat desertification in the area. BRDC has a database of information on both human activities in the Badia and on its natural resource, which is made available to a range of decision-makers (including local communities). It acts as an advisory body for the preparation of policies and strategies in the Badia.

International Union for the Conservation of Nature: IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organisation and was founded in 1948. It is a leading authority on the global environment and sustainable development. Conserving biodiversity is central to IUCN’s mission and addressing how this is fundamental to the global challenges of climate change, sustainable development, and food security. It is comprised of 1,200 member organisations including over 200 government agencies and more than 900 NGOs, and is funded by governments, bilateral and multilateral donor agencies, private sector corporations, and foundations. The IUCN has Official Observer Status at the UN General Assembly. Its HQ is in Geneva with numerous offices worldwide including in Amman where there is located the IUCN Regional Office for West Asia, which covers 13 countries in the region. In Jordan, the IUCN has recently implemented a number of SLM-related projects including reviving hima in the Zarqa River Basin (www.iucn.org).

National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension: NCARE carries out studies and implements activities in the rangelands in order to improve the management of the area, increase agricultural productivity (especially for livestock), combat desertification, conserve water use, improve soil conservation, protect biodiversity, and conserve the natural resources.

Agricultural Credit Corporation: The ACC was originally set up as a government body in 1959, funded through the Central Bank of Jordan, and has since been privatised. It provides small-scale credit facilities with the aim of contributing to the development of the



agricultural sector and its increase in productivity. The corporation has different funding sources (from national and international assistance) and is active in training and providing financial support to those with agricultural livelihoods. The ACC provides small credit facilities for micro and small businesses and for NGOs.

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas: ICARDA was established in 1977 and is one of 15 such agencies supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, which is a global partnership of organisations dedicated to reducing rural poverty, increasing food security, improving health and nutrition, and ensuring better sustainable management of natural resources. ICARDA is an agricultural research agency working in the arid and semi-arid areas of West Asia, North Africa, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. It undertakes training and research activities to develop and test new technologies, research methodologies, institutional innovations, and policy options for dry-area countries worldwide.

ICARDA aims to improve the sustainable productivity of agricultural systems, incomes of smallholder farmers living on dry lands and in fragile ecosystems, the nutrition and national food security strategies through science based solutions. This includes identifying new crop varieties, improved practices for farming and natural resources management, and socio-economic and policy options to support countries to improve their food security. Currently, ICARDA’s research portfolio is part of a long-term strategic plan (2007–2016) that focuses on improving productivity, incomes, and livelihoods among resource-poor households. (http://www.icarda.org/)

Jordan’s universities: A number of the country’s universities undertake studies and research related to desertification and SLM. Thus, the University of Jordan’s Faculty of Agriculture has a department for the management of environmental resources, which has been involved on projects in the Badia area. The Queen Rania Centre for Environmental Research (Jordan University of Science and Technology) also works on desertification projects. The UNESCO Chair for Desertification at Yarmouk

University has been established in order to conduct research in desertification disciplines. The Institute of Land, Water and Environment (The Hashemite University) has maintained close ties with Zarqa District where it conducts water, soil, and air pollution research, and its impact on land degradation. Similarly, the Institute of Land, Water, Environment and Space (Al Albayt University) has strong links with Mafraq District where it undertakes studies on surface and ground water pollution, desertification and water harvesting.

Conclusions and Recommendations: Jordan has a range of research bodies and institutes that could help in SLM and desertification project implementation. These organisations would provide stronger links between environmental research and policy formulation at the national level. The ACC (and other credit agencies) would play a critical role in providing small business and micro-credit funding in order to help alleviate poverty and be able to incorporate the necessary link with SLM. What does seem to be lacking is more private sector involvement in SLM and desertification projects. Thus, private sector organisations could offer support to projects in the form of best practice models for SLM compliance, by making financial contributions to environmental programmes, by providing technical training (in management, technology and research), and also by sub-contracting some trained staff for projects and to community organisations, for example. The fields where private sector involvement could be particularly useful would be in water recycling, energy conservation, and food production, for example.

6.3 Non-governmental OrganisationsThere are several well-run NGOs in Jordan that have been actively involved in SLM, environmental conservation, nature protection, and combating desertification, which work at the community level on projects and initiatives. Some of the better known, of numerous examples, are described below.

Jordan Cooperative Organization: JCO operates over 200 cooperatives and executes projects in a



variety of topic areas. Its activities are primarily directed towards poverty alleviation in rural areas through better resource management. This includes helping to establish rangeland reserves and providing financial credit to farmers in rural communities in order to promote better use of natural resources.

Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development: JOHUD was established in 1977 and is recognised as one of Jordan’s leading advocates in integrated social development. JOHUD provides the following services:

• Early childhood education (pre-school and nurseries);

• Women’s and youth support services;

• Social, health, and environmental awareness programmes;

• Literacy classes, vocational and business skills’ training;

• Agricultural projects such as dairy and food processing, livestock raising and vegetable growing;

• Medical, dental and family planning services through its clinics; and,

• Micro-credit schemes through the Small Business Development Center that supports low-income entrepreneurs, especially women.

JOHUD also hosts two main national organisations: the National Population Commission, which is the national focal point for population-related research and activities; and, the Jordanian National Commission for Women, the highest national policymaking forum on women’s issues. JOHUD has helped to prepare the UN National Human Development Reports.

Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature: RSCN has had a strong record in nature conservation and the protection of wildlife in Jordan since it was set up in 1966. It has a team of over 320 staff that operates in conservation, outreach and also with ‘Wild Jordan’. Wild Jordan is a business unit of RSCN, which promotes income-generating programmes that build on local skills and the tourism potential of the nature reserves, such as handicrafts production. RSCN is the most active of the NGOs in enforcing wildlife legislation, and

establishing and managing nature reserves.

RSCN helps to enforce government laws to protect wildlife; run breeding programmes for endangered species; control illegal hunting; raise environmental awareness issues; and, promote the use of sustainable resources. It manages Jordan’s national nature reserves, including Azraq (a designated Ramsar site) and the Dana rangeland reserve. Ecotourism principles have been incorporated into nature reserve management in conjunction with MOTA, and this has been used to increase awareness of the impacts of tourism on biodiversity, and to upgrade capacity building at the local level. The RSCN keeps a database on the status and distribution of plants and animals throughout the country in order to identify species at risk. It carries out public awareness programmes, including as part of the national school curriculum, that reflect the latest environmental concerns and it seeks to encourage the development of voluntary organisations for nature conservation. (http://www.rscn.org.jo)

Jordan Environmental Society: JES was established in 1988 to promote environmental protection and prevent pollution. It is currently the largest NGO operating on environmental issues and its activities include raising awareness in water usage and the introduction of new technologies to save water resources, especially in arid areas. JES encourages public involvement in providing environmental solutions and thus raises public awareness and promotes community action at the local level towards environmental protection and conservation. (http://www.jes.org.jo)

Jordanian Society for Desertification Control and Badia Development: JSDCBD was established in 1990 and specialises in research on desertification and works on projects in the Badia. It aims to develop the productivity of the rangelands by protecting forage plants and enhancing their propagation with special nurseries. JSDCBD also researches the rate of loss, and the conservation, of vegetation cover, water resources, soil fertility and the sustainable use of land resources. Moreover, the Society raises public awareness about the threats from desertification, the environmental condition of the Badia, the use of areas around treated wastewater plants for



reforestation programmes and the rehabilitation of solid waste disposal sites (http://www.jordandesert.org.jo)

Hashemite Fund for the Development of the Jordanian Badia: HFDJB was established in 2003 and began operations in the Badia in 2006, where the fund seeks to improve the socio-economic conditions. This is done by contributing to poverty alleviation and unemployment reduction, developing the skills of the Badia’s inhabitants and building their capacities through a variety of development projects, as well as supporting various scientific, cultural, social, sports and capacity building activities. The HFDJB assesses the Badia’s social, economic, and environmental conditions in order to establish a clear philosophy and comprehensive plan for the development of the area with two approaches: a direct approach, in which the fund is involved in the design and implementation of projects; and, an indirect approach, in which it seeks collaboration with other national and international organisations (http://www.badiafund.gov.jo/en/node/318).

Conclusions and Recommendations: There are many well-established NGOs in Jordan that have a long experience of participating in desertification projects, especially in the Badia. Their research and experience should continue to be used in JNAP project implementation and to help strengthen the link with policy formulation. SLM projects should incorporate more NGO involvement and experience from the social and poverty alleviation sector, such as with JCO and JOHUD, and seek to establish a direct link between livelihood improvements for communities, environmental conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources.

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7. REVIEW OF SLM FUNDING

7.1 National Policy and Planning FrameworkThe National Agenda was prepared by the National Agenda Steering Committee, which was established by Royal Decree in February 2005. The Committee comprised representatives from government, parliament, civil society, the private sector, the media, and political parties. The National Agenda is a comprehensive political and socio-economic reform plan that aims to achieve a consistent and consensual basis for broad-ranging policies for the period 2006-2015. Sustainable national development was the overall aim, albeit with ambitious targets to attain a GDP of 7-8% by 2012 and 2017 (from 5% in 2004), and a much-reduced rate of poverty, a slashing of public debt and unemployment, and significant increases in spending on health care and education. A number of initiatives were also outlined to address ‘environmental protection and sustainability’, as follows:

• Enhancing the regulatory and institutional framework to support environmental sustainability;

• Improving waste management policies;

• Strengthening measures to improve air pollution; and,

• Promoting the effective management of nature reserves.

A Ministry of Government Performance Unit was subsequently set up, as part of the Office of the Prime Minister, in order to assist the Council of Ministers to monitor and report on the implementation of the National Agenda. This would be done through key performance indicators so as to achieve consistent policies that would not be affected by changes in government and could be updated regularly. It should also be noted that MOPIC also prepare three-year National Development Action Plans that reflect national policy priorities, and focus on international investment and donor agency funding.

A range of sectoral development plans and strategies have been produced that followed the National Agenda (see Section 5.5 and Figure 5.2). Project-based programmes are incorporated into these sectoral development plans, which pursue a strong degree of environmental sustainability. However, the track record of implementing national sectoral plans has not been good, principally because of limited financial resources and weak human resources capacity. There has also been little SLM policy linkage across

the sector plans, and this is perhaps most easily demonstrated by the lack of project integration between Jordan’s obligations to the UNCCD, UNFCCC and CBD, where coordinated implementation would help to avoid duplication of effort and financial resources.

In general, Jordan’s policy and implementation framework has the following hierarchy: policy; strategy; plan; programme; and, project. Thus, using poverty alleviation as a topic example, there is the following structure:

Policy: National Agenda 2006–2015

Strategy: National Sector Plan - Poverty Reduction Strategy

Plan: National Human Development Plan

Programme: Strengthening National Capacities to Implement and Monitor the MDGs and Gender Equality

Project: The Localisation of MDGs in the Governorate of Zarqa

Project proposals are submitted to the relevant departments in MOPIC in order to mainstream

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development programmes, avoid duplication, and maximise benefits. Sectoral plans are then sent to MOPIC’s Executive Committee, which is responsible for preparing the three-year National Development Plan (NDP). The NDP incorporates the content of sectoral programmes and projects, and defines methods of implementation, estimated budgets, and funding sources. The three-year plan aims to be a dynamic and flexible document that allows urgently needed projects to be added, subject to the Council of Ministers’ approval. Amendments to the NDP can be incorporated through Royal Decree and the process takes roughly one year and is closely linked to the budget cycle.

SLM project funding can be integrated at almost any stage into the three-year NDP planning process through the following methods:

1. As part of sectoral strategies, by giving priority to SLM projects;

2. Through the technical committees, by justifying the need for an SLM programme;

3. By incorporating SLM programmes/projects into sectoral development plans;

4. Through a direct appeal to the NDP Executive Committee;

5. By including SLM programmes/projects into the NDP;

6. By justifying the need for an SLM project to the Cabinet of Ministers; and

7. Through a direct appeal to the Royal Court.

National Development Plan (2007-2009): The NDP for 2007–2009 included seven themes. The environment theme was allocated a budget of JD32 million (US$48 million) for this period, of which only JD250,000 (US$375,000) was directed to specific desertification projects. These projects included a periodic review of arid and semi-arid area mapping; the establishment of a monitoring unit; economic surveys of areas of land degradation; and, the documentation of desertification processes. However, the links between these measures and specific JNAP project implementation appeared to be weak, thereby confirming the need to strengthen the MOE’s project coordination capacity. Other SLM-

related initiatives that were allocated significant budgets in the 2007-2009 NDP, which could be used as co-financing for leveraging donor support, included:

• Water quality protection projects (JD10 million/US$15 million);

• Ecosystem protection projects (JD5 million/US$7.5 million);

• Development of alternative water resources (JD15 million/US$22 million);

• Water demand management (JD3 million/US$4.5 million);

• Renewable energy resources (JD3 million/US$4.5 million); and

• Sustainable agricultural practices (JD15 million/US$22 million).

The IFS outlined some recommendations for national policy development (in relation to combating desertification) as follows:

1. The integration of a regulatory regime into one comprehensive law on SLM;

2. The consolidation of cross-sectoral strategies and policies into a unified programme for inclusion in the NDP;

3. Promoting combating desertification as a priority for the NDP;

4. The development of strong linkages between scientific research and policy-making;

5. The adoption of a centralised information system for compiling, updating and disseminating information, including on UNCCD/JNAP implementation and resource mobilisation;

6. An administrative, institutional, and financial mandate for the NCCD that strengthens its role as a coordination mechanism for activities to combat desertification; and

7. The development of an adequate monitoring and evaluation mechanism for assessing the effectiveness of project implementation.

Comments and Recommendations: Since the completion of the IFS, the following comments would be relevant to the implementation of a new

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JNAP:

• Point 3 above: As far as national policies and donor funding priorities are concerned, it would be more effective to incorporate projects related to combating desertification into a SLM project focus and to link this with poverty alleviation; and,

• Point 6 above: The NCCD and other national committees relevant to Jordan’s obligations to the three Rio Conventions should be combined into one national environmental, or SLM, committee/agency responsible for project implementation in order to avoid overlap and funding duplication.

The issue of responsibilities for project implementation at the national level and project specific level has continued to be critical and remains problematic. Thus, government ministries and other project implementing agencies need to have clear roles and financial mandates for carrying out SLM projects.

7.2 General Budget Preparation ProcessThe public budget is the main source of national financing in Jordan. Budget preparation and assessment is done through the GBD, which is an autonomous administrative entity within MOF. Law No. 39 of 1962 regulates the GBD, whose main tasks, duties, and authorities are:

• Preparing Jordan’s annual budget;

• Proposing budget allocations that are linked to national policy;

• Assessing departmental requests for financial allocations;

• Examining project programmes that need to be implemented; and

• Ensuring that requests for budget allocations are compatible with economic policies.

The GBD’s role is fundamental as it examines, coordinates and approves requests for funds prior to their submission for Cabinet and, subsequently, legislative approval. This includes reviewing the annual funding requests, interacting with executive agencies, the MOF,

and the Bureau of Accounting and Audit. MOF has a special fiduciary responsibility for revenue and coordination with the Consultation Group on Fiscal Policy, which is headed by the Prime Minister and includes MOPIC. The Consultation Group sets the budget limit and informally resolves any disputes between Cabinet members and MOF.

Line agencies are the main source of cost estimates for government operations. The leaders of each line agency (ministers and permanent secretariats) determine how much to request for their operational units, where information on project performance or financial transactions arise. Where proposed development projects or plans involve more than one administrative jurisdiction, then MOPIC has a key role in negotiating for the requisite grants and loans for funding. MOF has also been implementing a change in their budgetary approach since 2007 with a move towards ‘results oriented budgeting’. This intends to measure delivery according to a particular ministry’s stated visions, strategic objectives, programmes, projects, and performance indicators.

Budget Development Process: The annual budget cycle runs from January to December and the budget development process is as follows:

• Ministries and government departments outline their budget priorities and policies for GBD review by the end of February;

• A Budget Priorities and Policies Paper is prepared and submitted to the Council of Ministers, which is approved after amendments by the end of March;

• A public budget framework is prepared for the medium term in early May, for which government departments submit budget proposals (to GBD) by mid July;

• Budget proposals are then reviewed and a Budget Circular is prepared by GBD at the end of August;

• The Budget Circular is issued and ministries/departments are required to submit their medium term budget proposals in line with this by the end of September;

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• The Draft Budget Law is prepared and presented to the Consultative Board for discussion, amendments and approval;

• The Final Budget Law is submitted to Parliament and the Senate for approval at the end of October; and,

• The Budget Law must be ratified by the end of December.

Legislative Approval of the Budget: Once the final budget report is sent to Parliament and the Senate for approval, then the Designated Financial Committee reviews the reports and provides its comments. The Parliament then votes on each chapter of the budget and the same process is undertaken in the Senate. Legislators may vote against the Government’s financial package if it does not include the projects or support the policies that they deem necessary. Parliament’s failure to approve the Prime Minister’s budget constitutes a vote of no confidence, which would require the government to resign. Under such circumstances, the King would dissolve Parliament and call for new elections. The vote usually hinges on whether to increase or decrease the total budget bill. Once both the Parliament and the Senate approve the budget, it is then sent to the Prime Minister and thereafter to the King for royal approval and finally promulgated. No amendments can be made to the budget after royal approval.

7.3 Public Budget Funding AllocationJordan’s national budget consists of two main sections:

• Part I of the budget is allocated to current/operational expenditure, such as salaries, office equipment, and debt servicing. This component cannot serve as an entry point for JNAP funding, unless dedicated units or staff within a ministry are working exclusively on a desertification-related project, for example. In this case, the staff costs would become an indirect source of JNAP funding; and,

• Part II is allocated to capital expenditures, such as building and road construction, which can be effective in generating economic growth. It comprises 20% - 33% of the total budget.

In terms of the GBD allocation of funds in 2013 for thematic areas, environmental protection received 1.1% of total allocated budget expenditure. However, as far as government ministry allocation is concerned, the MOE received JD1.5 million (US$2.25 million) for current expenditure (Part I) and JD1.9 million (US$2.8 million) for capital expenditure (Part II), thereby providing a total of JD3.4 million (US$5.1 million). This represents a tiny amount of the total budget of JD7.45 billion (US$11.2 billion) for ministries and government agencies. MOA was allocated a total of JD54.7 million (US$82 million) and JD93.2 million (US$140 million) to MWI. This is even less than IFS findings in 2008 where budget allocations for many of the ministries linked to desertification (such as MOT, MOA, MOSD and including MOE) received between 0.8% and 1.5% of the total Part I operational budget.

Municipal Budgets: Municipalities in Jordan play a critical role in community development and the provision of local services and facilities. They are therefore considered key entry points for channeling financial resources to combating desertification and for SLM. Municipal budgets are controlled by MOMA. In October of each year, MOMA instructs the financial managers of each municipality (except Greater Amman, Aqaba Special Economic Zone and Petra Regional Authority) to prepare a draft budget based on the previous two years of expenditure. Financial controllers at MOMA’s Councils Division review these budgets and approve them or return them for adjustment.

7.4 Project Funding PrioritiesThe IFS reviewed the funding priorities for projects in Jordan during the period 1997-2007. It was concluded that of the 198 project activities (that were completed, on-going and planned), which were analysed during this period, 49 were in the sustainable development and poverty alleviation thematic area (registering the highest number of activities per area). The following breakdown according to financing of project activities was derived by IFS:

Sustainable Development and Poverty Alleviation: 24.70%

Watershed Management and Irrigation: 22.40%

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Sustainable Agriculture: 14.60%

Capacity Building and Awareness: 13.60%

Research and Surveys: 13.10%

Rangelands, Forested Areas and National Parks Conservation: 11.60%

The financing of thematic areas during this period (both domestic and international sources) provides an even clearer picture with the following breakdown:

Watershed Management and Irrigation: 65.01%

Sustainable Agriculture: 19.00%

Rangelands, Forested Areas and National Parks Conservation: 4.78%

Capacity Building and Awareness: 1.05%

Sustainable Development and Poverty Alleviation: 1.05%

Research and Surveys: 0.16%

The breakdown above demonstrates the clear priority towards watershed management/irrigation and sustainable agriculture, which together absorb 84% of the funding allocation. During 2000-2007, IFS found that external funding allocations provided nearly 82% of financing requirements during this time, with the balance of almost 18% coming from domestic sources. For activities in the watershed management and irrigation sector, funding from external (or international sources) provided 97% of total financing. Similarly, external funding for the conservation of rangelands, forested areas and national parks resulted in a similar proportion (92%). Internal (or domestic) sources of funding focused on research and surveys (forming 86% of this sector’s financing), sustainable development and poverty alleviation (78%) and capacity building and awareness (45%). Innovative funding sources provided roughly one per cent of the total for capacity building and awareness.

7.5 Domestic Funding SourcesThere are a number of Jordanian sources of funding that could be used for SLM and desertification projects and some of these are described below. A more comprehensive appraisal of domestic funding sources is also

provided in Figure 7.1.

Jordan Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund: JREEF has been established as a public-private institution (five board directors from the public sector and four from the private sector) in order to promote renewable energy, diversify energy sources and pursue energy efficiency. The fund aims to encourage the private sector to invest in renewable energy and to reduce GHG emissions. JREEF was established following the Renewable Energy Law in 2007 and would be financed by:

• Contributions from the public budget;

• Grants and donations from public agencies and donor agencies; and,

• Income generated from the funds activities.

Jordan Environment Fund: JEF has been set up by the MOE with technical support from the Sustainable Achievement of Business Expansion and Quality (SABEQ) programme, which is funded by USAID. This fund emerged from the Environmental Protection Law of 2006. JEF financing is derived from the following:

• Government’s contributions from the public budget;

• Grants and donations from public organisations and donor agencies;

• Fines collected from environmental violations;

• Fees collected by the MOE from licenses and permits;

• Taxes and concessions from products as well as any grants and donations;

• Income generated from the fund’s activities which can be reinvested for conservation purposes; and,

• Shares from selling carbon credits from CDM.

JEF intends to enhance the implementation of environmental legislation by:

• Providing financial assistance towards the latest environmental technology;

• Supporting projects that help to achieve the sustainable development of natural resources and national environmental priorities;

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• Promoting investment in environmentally friendly technology and encouraging initiatives to improve the quality of local sustainable products;

• Strengthening agency cooperation to support environmental sustainability; and,

• Raising awareness in environmentally friendly technology and demonstrating its socio economic importance.

JEF was launched in July 2011 and since then has been receiving applications for new ecological or sustainable projects.

Environment Compensation Fund: Jordan reviewed the environmental damage to its natural resources, especially from the influx of refugees, after the Gulf Wars of 1990-1991 and 2003. In June 2005, following this assessment, the Governing Council of the United Nations Compensation Commission awarded Jordan US$160.6 million funding towards the rehabilitation and restoration of its terrestrial ecosystem that had been damaged by the refugee in-migration. Project implementation started in 2011 and it is understood from a meeting with MOA representatives in September 2013 that roughly US$135 million of this fund remains to be used by the ECF cut-off date of 2025. ECF money has been directed towards supporting the restoration of rangeland habitats and conserving wildlife. The ECF cooperative programme, developed by the MOE, focuses on the Badia area and aims to achieve the following:

• The restoration of the rangeland’s former productivity and the development of water harvesting;

• Growth in local employment rates as the rangeland recovers and the social, economic,

and governance institutions are modernised in order to allow communities to take advantage of the renewed opportunities;

• An increase in plant biomass production, plant species and small mammal diversity to those of pre-Gulf Crisis levels;

• Re-establishing a sustainable population of gazelles in the rangelands; and,

• Promoting the social welfare of Badia communities by reviving the Bedouin’s traditional arts and crafts, increasing livestock, and dairy products through cooperative activities. This would support tourism.

Environmental Protection Fund: The EPF was established through the Environment Law of 2006 and launched in April 2010. The aim is to secure funds to support environmental, social, and economic policies, and to stimulate the MOE investment in the environmental sector. It is also designed to support private sector projects that comply with environmental regulations and promote sustainable use of natural resources. The primary funding source of the EPF is from carbon trading via the CDM, principally through the sale of Jordan’s polluting rights of GHG emissions to international governments and companies. Roughly 5% of revenue from the CDM is transferred to the EPF. In this way, for example, the EPF received US$1.5 million from selling carbon credits from the Aqaba Thermal Power Station project, which was Jordan’s first venture registered through the CDM. Other financing sources include fines collected from violating industries, grants from donor agencies, and taxation. The EPF is used to support the Environment Police Unit.

Figure 7.1 – Potential Domestic Donor Funding Sources for SLM

Funding Sources Area Main Focus Related Research

Areas Targets Maximum Grant Size Website

The Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST) BD

, CC,

CD Improve practical research areas for developing the country

National research and development priorities

Jordanian Researchers

Up to JD 1,000,000 http://hcst.gov.jo/

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Scientific Research Support Fund/Ministry of Higher Education BD

, CC,

CDThe fund aims to develop human research resources and infrastruc-ture in a bid to boost the country's competitive environment in ecological, water, and tech ap-plications domains.

Management of bio-ecosystems, conservation of endangered genetic resources, deserti-fication control and drought mitigation, impacts of climate change on water and environment

Academic staff and gradu-ate research students

http://www.mohe.gov.jo/Mohe/tabid/36/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Deanships of Academic Research at Universities BD

, CC,

CD

The mission of DARs is to promote, facilitate the development of academic research, encourage, coordinate, regulate as well as support in all means the different kinds of research.

Emphasis on areas of national interest and priority, e.g. energy, renewable energy and water.

Academic staff and gradu-ate research students

Environmental Protection Fund

BD, C

C, CD

Goals of the EPF are to (a) secure funds to support the govern-ment‘s environmental, social and economic policies; and (b) stimulate MOE investment in the environmental sector in Jordan.

Research activities may be funded either directly or through implementation projects that contain research components.

Jordanian researchers.

Environment Compensation Fund BD

, CC,

CD

Restoration of rangeland produc-tivity; increase in plant biomass production, plant species and diversity to pre-Gulf Crisis levels; and, promoting social welfare of Badia communities.

Agricultural, environ-mental and tourism project activities.

Fund has roughly US$135 million remaining to be used by 2018.

The Hashemite Fund for Development of the Jordanian Badia BD

, CC,

CD

The mission of HFDJB is to establish sustainable development in the Jordanian Badia through active participation of the local communities and the implemen-tation of environmental, social and economic activities, while maintaining and respecting the prevailing culture and habits.

Funds research to combat land degradation and conserve biodiversity in the Badia as well as studies on the potential impact of climate change on land resources.

Jordanian researchers

http://www.badiafund.gov.jo/en

Jordan Environment Fund

BD, C

C, CD

JEF receives funding from the public budget, grants and dona-tions from public organisations and donor agencies, as well as a variety of other sources.

Assistance towards environmental tech-nology, environmen-tal sustainability and raising awareness.

JEF started end of July 2011. Applications for funding being received.

Jordan Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund

CC

JREEF is a public-private agency that aims to encourage the private sector to invest in renewable en-ergy and to reduce GHG emissions.

Funding for projects that help to promote renewable energy, pursue energy effi-ciency and to diversify energy sources.

Source: Policy-oriented National Priority Research Topics in Climate Change, Biodiversity and Combating Desertification (2013-2020). Prepared by the UNDP/GEF and the MOE (February 2013). Supplemented by additional information.

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7.6 International Donor Agency FundingThe international donor agency community in Jordan has traditionally provided different types of project support in the form of grants, soft loans, technical assistance and direct budget support for environmental conservation and SLM projects. This funding can be sub-divided into multilateral donor agencies and bilateral or national aid agencies. A review of foreign assistance commitments in 2009 showed that Jordan’s top donors were from the USA, World Bank, and France. Donor agencies will refer to the National Agenda, NDP, and national sectoral strategies and plans when deciding on priorities for financial assistance.

A comprehensive summary of potential international donor funding sources for projects in Jordan, especially for those relevant to the three Rio Conventions, is provided in Figure 7.2. For each of the Conventions there has been an emphasis on the need for research and to link this to mitigating the effects of climate change, to reducing the loss of biodiversity, and slowing the rate of desertification.

Multilateral Donor Agency Funding: Multilateral donor agencies have provided longstanding project support in Jordan for SLM and desertification projects. Those agencies that have been the most active in assisting environmental programmes in Jordan have included the EU, the World Bank/IMF, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), UNDP, Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, UNESCO, UNEP, UN FAO, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), GEF and Care International. The Gulf Cooperation Council Fund may also be an important future source. Jordan applied to join the GCC in May 2011, which was approved, and a plan for membership accession is in place.

To date, only the UNDP has provided direct financial resources under the UNCCD framework, principally for initial studies. GEF has been involved in funding several biodiversity projects in Jordan and, in conjunction with the World Bank, co-funded the Badia Ecosystem and Livelihoods Project (BELP) (see brief description in Section 5.6). Another example of a GEF-funded

project was conservation work for the Dana Wildlife Reserve, which promoted sustainable development activities such as ecotourism and organic farming as part of the first management plan for a wildlife reserve in Jordan. With Dana as a model, GEF also funded the rehabilitation of the Azraq wetlands. The Azraq project reduced water extraction and recycled the balance into ponds and marshes, which resulted in a revival of part of the area’s biodiversity.

GEF have also been operating a Small Grants Programme (SGP) in Jordan since 1992, which focuses on providing funding for NGOs and community organisations. Up to 2002, the key focus was on biodiversity. Since then, the focus for SGP allocations has shifted to land degradation and SLM. SGP is moving into Operational Phase 6 (from June 2014) with the following focal areas (the first two as key priorities):

• International water resources (Aqaba and Jordan Valley);

• Sustainable land management;

• Persistent organic pollutants in the Jordan Valley;

• Biodiversity; and,

• Climate change.

The SGP provides funding up to a maximum of US$50,000, although grants are typically allocated between US$28,000 - US$43,000. Each year roughly US$200,000 is allocated to roughly ten projects. The grant approval process takes up to six months with funding approved by a National Steering Committee and approvals oriented towards national priorities. Of those that have successfully received grants through SGP, some 40% reapply for further grants the following year.

The EU has provided significant policy-level and strategic support for Jordan that is directed towards democratisation, sustainable development, and economic diversification. Most of the EU projects have been implemented in partnership with MOPIC and MOSD. FAO has supported the MOA in developing a national strategy and action plan for drought management, as well as funding a strategy for forest management. The World Bank has had a long history of cooperation with Jordan and has supported a wide range of SLM-related programmes, such as the Conservation of Herbal

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and Medicinal Plants Project and the Jordan Integrated Ecosystem Management Project in the Jordan Rift Valley (implemented with GEF and RSCN).

Bilateral Donor Agency Funding: There are a number of national or bilateral donor agencies that have funded environmental projects in Jordan. These have included the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the French Development Agency (AFD), Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the German Development Bank (KfW), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the Abu Dhabi Fund, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the German International Cooperation (GIZ, formerly GTZ), the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Kuwait Fund, and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).

Aid from the USA has increased significantly during 2004-2009 and the USAID programme in Jordan currently ranks in the top five in funding levels for that agency. In 2007, US$254 million was provided to Jordan by USAID, and by 2008 this increased to US$363.5 million, or one-third of total foreign assistance for that year. Given that water resources have been the most critical aspect of Jordan’s development, this has been the prime focus for much of the bilateral donor funding activity. Thus, USAID has financed community action projects dealing with water conservation and alternative socio-economic livelihoods, which included the construction of low-cost and low-maintenance central

wastewater treatment facilities, and community involvement in water demand management.

GIZ has concentrated its activities on water-related environmental conservation, resource protection and land degradation. JICA has also provided significant technical and financial assistance for a variety of sectors, namely water and wastewater, agricultural development, environmental protection, family planning and health, industrial development, tourism development and poverty alleviation. JICA’s environmental programme has tended to focus on water resource development, conservation, and recycling with a demand management focus at the community level.

Foreign Donor Assistance Trends: The total amount of foreign assistance allocated to Jordan by donor agencies in 2009 amounted to US$1374.7 million (compared with US$1137.5 million in 2008). In 2004, total foreign assistance was US$615.52 million. Consequently, in five years the amount of international donor aid has more than doubled. In terms of the breakdown between grants and soft loans, grants amounted to US$697.85 million (compared with US$719 million in 2008), whilst in 2009 the total for soft loans increased to US$676.85 million from US$418.5 million (in 2008). In fact, between 2004-2009, soft loans increased five-fold during that period, whilst grants grew by roughly 50% (MOPIC, 2010). Furthermore, there has been an increasing trend in foreign assistance towards support for the state budget (estimated to be around 25% of total aid in 2009) in order to cover significant deficits and to support public sector reforms.

Figure 7.2 – Potential International Donor Funding Sources for SLM



Abercrombie & Kent Global Foundation (A&KGF) CC

, BD,

CD

The A&KGF supports projects throughout the world in four key areas: general conserva-tion; community conservation education; wildlife preservation and research; and historical monument protection.

http://www.akglobalfoun-dation.org/

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Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) -- Grants for International Meetings.

CC, B

D, CD

TWAS makes grants to support the organisation of high-level international and regional scientific activities in developing countries by offering financial assistance for conferences, work-shops, symposia, and special meetings held in these countries.

http://twas.ictp.it/prog/meetings/support-for-international-scientific-meetings

Alexander von Hum-boldt Foundation CC

, BD,

CD

The Foundation supports foreign students, academics, and doctoral candidates during their stay in Germany and it promotes academic cooperation between German scientists and scholars from abroad.

Research fellowships and research awards allow researchers to come to Germany to work on a research project together with a host and collabora-tive partner.

http://www.humboldt-foundation.de

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) CC

, BD,

CD

AAAS International Initiatives support three strategic goals, which serve to promote: inter-national scientific cooperation; capacity-building and workforce enhancements; and sustainable development.

http://www.aaas.org/

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation CC

, BD,

CD

The Foundation makes grants in higher education, museums and art conservation, perform-ing arts, conservation and the environment, and scholarly communications and information technology.

Supports initia-tives with long time horizons

Over US$200 million awarded each year

http://www.mellon.org/

BBVA Foundation -- Awards in Frontiers of Knowledge

CC

The BBVA Foundation awards recognize innovative and fundamental advances in several areas of science, culture, and collaboration.

Thematic areas include ecology and conserva-tion biology; climate change; and develop-ment cooperation.

Individuals and organisations of any national-ity.

http://www.fbbva.es/TLFU/tlfu/esp/microsites/premios/fronteras/index.jsp

BiodivERsA European Biodiversity Observa-tion Network CC

, BD,

CD

BiodivERsA encourages research-ers working in different countries to pursue projects on an inter-national rather than national scale. The network provides the funding, focus and networking opportunities for biodiversity researchers to work efficiently on a variety of projects.

Biodiversity dynamics; innovative solutions for the use, conserva-tion and sustain-able management of biological resources.

http://www.biodiversa.org/

BP Conservation Program BD

The BP Conservation Program offers awards to teams that have been identified with leader-ship potential for biodiversity conservation and are developing their skills through small-scale practical conservation projects.

US$12,500 http://www.conservation-leadershipprogramme.org/

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Cargill Corporate GivingBD

, CD

Cargill supports programs to ensure a safe food supply and demonstrate responsible stew-ardship of natural resources.

Regional, national and global nonprof-its and NGOs.

Over US$200 million awarded each year.

http://www.cargill.com/corporate-responsibility/

community-engagement/

charitable-giving/ corporate-giving/ index.jsp

Conservation and Research Foundation CC

, BD,

CD

The Foundation awards seed money to promote conserva-tion and enlightened use of renewable natural resources; encourage related research in the biological sciences; deepen understanding of the relation-ships between man and the environment; and address the problem of overpopulation.

Supports research that might be ineligible for funding from conven-tional sources

Organisations and individuals

US$5,000http://conservationre-search.wordpress.com/

Conservation Interna-tional (CI) BD

Conservation International is a corporation that applies in-novations in science, economics, and policy and community participation to protect plant and animal diversity. Its mission is to conserve the Earth’s living herit-age, global biodiversity, and to demonstrate that human socie-ties are able to live harmoniously with nature.

Provide strategic, financial and technical support,

Governments, nonprofit organisations, universities, businesses, and local communi-ties

www.conservation.org/

Conservation, Food, and Health Foundation BD

The Conservation, Food and Health Foundation supports programmes in three primary fields of interest: conservation, food, and health. Conservation grants help improve ecological and environmental conditions in the developing world.

Field research and technical assistance that help to conserve ecosystems and protect biological diversity, technical and scientific training in conservation and pro-tection of resources.

Organisations whose activi-ties are of direct and immediate benefit to developing countries.

Generally US$25,000 or less

http://cfhfoundation.grantsmanagement08.com/

Critical Ecosystem Part-nership Fund (CEPF) CC

, BD,

CD

A joint initiative between Conservation International, The Global Environment Facil-ity, the MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank. Supports projects such as managing of protected areas and coordinating biodiversity corridors; training; trans-boundary planning; prior-ity setting and consensus build-ing; strengthening indigenous organisations; and facilitating partnerships between the private sector and protected areas.

Target direct global environmental ben-efits.

From small agencies to international organizations.

http://www.cepf.net/Pages/default.aspx

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Darwin Initiative: Conservation Research and Capacity Building

BD

The Darwin Initiative funds part-nerships between UK institutions and institutions in develop-ing countries for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of resources.

Capacity building, training, research, projects related to the Biodiversity Conven-tion, and environ-mental education and awareness.

http://darwin.defra.gov.uk/

David and Lucile Pack-ard Foundation BD

, CD

Objectives are to stimulate sus-tainable production processes, while conserving biodiversity and support grassroots level initiatives with active role in in-ternational lobby and advocacy.

International, national, or regional organisations.

€ 1.8 million supports on average 17 projects per year.

http://www.packard.org/

Deutsche Gesellschaft Internationale Zusam-menarbeit (GIZ)

BD, C

C

GIZ projects include economic development; governance and democracy; security, reconstruc-tion, food security, health and basic education; and environ-mental protection, resource conservation, and climate change mitigation.

(http://www.giz.de/en/home.html

Dubai International Award for Best Practices (DIABP) CC

, BD,

CD

The DIABP was established to recognize the best practices with positive impact on improving the living environment. These in-clude successful initiatives which 1) have a demonstrable and tangible impact on improving people’s quality of life; 2) are the result of effective partnerships between the public, private, and civic sectors of society; and 3) are socially, culturally, economically, and environmentally sustainable.

http://dubai-award.dm.gov.ae

Earthwatch Institute CC

Earthwatch supports long-term scientific field research that tackles the world’s most pressing environmental problems. Every year Earthwatch awards grants of over £3.8 million (US $6 million) in support of as many as 70 research projects around the world.

Ecosystem ser-vices, climate change, oceans, and cultural heritage.

Average of US$85,000

http://www.earthwatch.org/

Energy Globe Award for Sustainability CC

, BD,

CD

The Energy Globe Award is for projects that conserve and protect natural resources, or that employ renewable energy.

Individuals, organisations, NGOs, and government agencies.

US$10000http://www.energyglobe.com/en/award-partici-pation/

Environmental Protec-tion Fund

CC

Carbon trading via the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), through selling of polluting rights of greenhouse gases to international governments and companies.

Sustainable use of natural resources.

Private sector No limit

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European Commission (EC) -- Water Manage-ment in the Mediter-ranean.

CC

Focus areas are water govern-ance; water and climate change; water financing; water demand management and efficiency; municipal waste; municipal wastewater; and industrial emissions.

NGOs, govern-ment agencies, institutes and universities in EU countries and, ENPI-South countries (includes Jordan).

http://www.semide.net/thematicdirs/news/2011/03/call-dem-onstration-projects-sus-tainable-water-integrated-management

European Tropical For-est Research Network (ETFRN) CC

, BD,

CD

ETFRN is a forum for com-munication between European organisations, researchers, EU in-stitutions, and others concerned with tropical and subtropical forest research. ETFRN is not a funding organization but they provide links to funding relevant information. ETFRN provides easy access to relevant web-based information on topics such as climate change, forests, water, and biodiversity.

Promotes conservation and wise use of forests and woodlands in tropical and subtropi-cal countries.

Foundation Ensemble

CC, B

D, CD

Foundation Ensemble supports individuals that implement innovative projects in developing countries to reconcile the fight against poverty with environ-mental protection.

Small NGOs, and other non-profit organisations.

http://www.fondation-ensemble.org/concourira.php

Ford Foundation

CC, B

D, CD

The Ford Foundation is working to address flawed policies that can limit poor people›s access to the natural resources they depend on and can foster land speculation and conflict. Grants support research, advocacy, networking among organisations and communication to increase awareness and training activities plus promoting socially just cli-mate change policies that meet the needs of the rural poor.

Projects to reduce the rate of consumption of natural resources and/or pollution, protec-tion of the natural environment, projects aimed at creating or increasing environ-mental awareness.

Research cent-ers, universi-ties, NGOs, international and national organisations, researchers.

http://www.fordfound.org/

French Agricultural Research Center for International Develop-ment

CC, B

D, CD

CIRAD is a French agricultural research center working with environmental issues, natural resource management, and the main global issues concerning agriculture.

Research and trials, training, dissemina-tion of information, innovation, and appraisals

Research centres, universities, international organisations, and research-ers.

Budget of €214 million in 2010

http://www.cirad.fr/

French Foundation for Biodiversity Research BD

The FRB funds proposals in biodi-versity research. Projects at FRB are led by French institutions, and are open to international participation.

Research centres, universities, international organisations, and research-ers.

http://www.fondationbio-diversite.fr/

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French Global Environ-ment Facility CC

, BD

The FGEF supports and promotes the protection and conservation of the global environment in developing and transition coun-tries. Majority of total project funding should be from other sources (including locally).

The FGEF supports and promotes the protec-tion and conservation of the global environ-ment in developing and transition coun-tries. Majority of total project funding should be from other sources (including locally).

Interna-tional, national, regional, and local institu-tions.

Average grant >€1million & averaged about 12% of total project cost.

http://www.ffem.net

G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation: Research Grants

CC

The G. Unger Vetlesen Founda-tion makes grants for marine and ocean conservation, earth sciences, climate change, and wildlife management. Most grant recipients have their principal offices in the USA.

Educational and scientific institutions, and a few conservation NGOs.

Grants range from US$10,000 to over US$1million.

http://www.monell-vetlesen.org/vetlesen/default.htm

GEF & UNDP Small Grants Program (SGP) CC

, BC,

CD

GEF’s Small Grants Program aims to deliver global environmental benefits in the GEF Focal Areas of biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, pro-tection of international waters, prevention of land degradation (primarily desertification and deforestation), and elimination of persistent organic pollutants through community-based approaches.

Research centres, uni-versities, NGOs, international and national organisations, researchers.

http://sgp.undp.org/

GEF Trust Fund - Climate Change Focal Area

CC

GEF Climate Change area objective is to help develop-ing countries and in transition to contribute to the overall objective of the UNFCCC. The fund does not support strictly research projects, but may sup-port projects that have a research component.

Measures that mini-mise climate change damage by reducing the risk, or the adverse effects, of climate change.

http://www.climatefund-supdate.org/listing/gef-trust-fund

Global Biodiversity Information Facility: Research in Biosystem-atics

BD

The Global Biodiversity Informa-tion Facility administers the Ebbe Nielsen Prize awarded to a prom-ising researcher who combines biosystematics and biological diversity informatics.

Researchers US$30,000http://www.gbif.org/com-munications/news-and-events/ebbe-nielsen-prize/

Idea Wild: Equipment in Support of Conserva-tion Research

BD

Idea Wild provides equipment and supplies in support of biodiversity conservation in developing countries

Individuals of any nationality.

US$1,500 http://www.ideawild.org/

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Information Climate Initiative

CC

The German Federal Environ-ment Ministry supports climate protection projects in developing countries through the Interna-tional Climate Initiative.

Support climate protection measures, improving adaptabili-ty to the consequences of climate change, and conserving and using climate-relevant areas which merit protection.

http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/news

InnoCentive -- Com-munications from Communities About Climate Change.

CC

In collaboration with the World Resources Institute, InnoCentive makes awards for the best ideas on communication platforms that connect communities with public and private organisations regarding community problems related to climate change.

US$1,000 to US$10,000

https://www.innocentive.com/ar/challenge/over-view/9932695

International Climate Initiative (Previ-ously known as the International Climate Protection Initiative)

CC, B

D

The International Climate Initiative (ICI) finances climate projects in developing and newly industrialized countries, as well as countries in transition economies. The ICI focuses on promoting a climate-friendly economy, measures for climate change adaptation and for the preservation or sustainable use of carbon reservoirs/Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)

In developing and newly industrialised countries, as well as countries in transition economies.

http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/news

International Develop-ment Research Center: Research Grants and Fellowships

BD, C

C

The IDRC provides funding for applied research from developing countries and Canada. IDRC makes grants for biodiversity and genetic resources; needs of the poor who live in degraded and fragile ecosystems; adapta-tion to climate change; and several other themes related to conservation.

Researchershttp://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-54473-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html

International Founda-tion for Science: Research Grants for Young Professionals

BD

IFS (International Foundation for Science) makes grants to young scientists attached to universi-ties, national research institu-tions, and research-oriented NGOs in developing countries. Normally, over 250 new grants are made each year in a large number of eligible countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Thematic areas include biodiversity and conser-vation; agriculture and food sciences; water and soil resources; forestry; natural products; ma-rine resources; animal husbandry; and several others.

Scientists at the beginning of their research careers.

http://www.ifs.se/

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International Founda-tion of Science (IFS) CC

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IFS (International Foundation of Science) is a research council with international operations and the mission to build the scientific capacity of developing countries in sciences related to the sustainable management of biological and water resources.

Can be used to purchase basic tools needed to conduct a research project: equipment, expend-able supplies, and literature.

Young develop-ing country scientists.

US$12,00 (may be renewed twice).

http://www.ifs.se/

J.R.S. Biodiversity Foun-dation: Research on Biodiversity Informatics

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The J.R.S. Biodiversity Founda-tion supports projects that focus on collecting, synthesising, and disseminating biodiversity data. The focus is biodiversity informatics, and technology approaches for collecting and interpreting biological informa-tion.

Non-profit institutions.

>US$1 millionhttp://www.jrsbdf.org/v3/home.asp

Japanese International Cooperation Agency CC

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The JICA works to promote eco-nomic and social development in developing countries. JICA works through technical cooperation projects, trainee programs, development studies, grant aid, emergency relief disaster, citizen participation, and follow-up participation.

JICA topics include: governance; gender, women in developing countries, poverty reduction, environ-mental management, natural environment conservation, educa-tion, water, energy, mining, and economic policy.

JICA conducts assessments with the government of the partner country.

http://www.jica.go.jp/english/index.html

Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences CC

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KFAS Goal is to promote scientific, technological and intellectual progress within the State of Kuwait and the region. Supports research in basic and applied sciences.

The Environmental Research Program focus is on environ-mental sustainability, conservation, and management of biodiversity.

Regional and national researchers and institutions.

http://www.kfas.org

Lawrence Foundation

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The foundation is focused on making grants to support environmental, educational, health, human services, and other causes. Both programme and operating grants are made. They do not have geographic restrictions on grants.

ResearchersAverage award about US$12,000

http://www.thelawrence-foundation.org/

Leverhulme Trust

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The Trust makes awards for the support of research and educa-tion. It emphasizes individuals and encompasses all subject areas. Awards provide financial support for innovative and original research projects of high quality and potential, the choice of theme and the design of the research lying entirely with the applicant.

The grants provide support for the salaries of research staff engaged on the project, plus as-sociated costs directly related to the research proposed.

Universities in the UK and countries where, in the opinion of the Trust Board, the provision of research fund-ing is seriously limited.

Typically £250,000 over two or three years. Some funded for £250,000 to £500,000 for a period of up to five years.

http://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/

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Lindbergh Foundation.CC

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The Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation makes grants for research and education in agriculture, conservation of natural resources, waste minimi-zation, and other themes.

Citizens of all countries are eligible to apply.

US$10,00http://www.lindbergh-foundation.org/docs/index.php/our-grants

Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB)/ Young Scientists Awards

BD

MAB provides awards in support of research on ecosystems, natu-ral resources and biodiversity. The program is focused on the management or preservation of the environment and success-ful management of biosphere reserves.

Fund offers access for young scientists (especially women) to advanced research facilities.

Young researchers.

US$5,000

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecologicalsciences/man-andbiosphere-programme/awards-and-prizes/

Mava Foundation: Con-servation Research and Capacity Building (West Africa and Mediter-ranean)

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The Mava Foundation for Nature makes grants for research, train-ing, and integrated management to maintain the biodiversity of terrestrial and aquatic ecosys-tems. Its funding priorities for the developing world are the Mediterranean Basin and the coastal zone of West Africa.

Interna-tional, national, regional, and local institu-tions.

http://www.mava-founda-tion.org/index.html

Max and Anna Levinson Foundation BD

Funds grants to develop a more ecological sustainable world, in which people have a greater abil-ity and opportunity to determine directions for the future.

Funding to the environment includes protection of ecosys-tems and biological diversity; alternative energy and conversion from the oil economy; alternative agriculture, and local green eco-nomic development.

Individuals and groups.

US$10,000 to US$20,000

http://www.levinsonfoun-dation.org

McArthur Foundation Conservation and Sus-tainable Development CC

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CD

Broad range of topics including conservation across large land-scapes and seascapes and build-ing local institutional capacity in government and civil society for biodiversity conservation.

US$50,000 to US$1,5 million

http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.3599935/k.1648/John_D__Catherine_T_MacArthur_Foundation.htm

Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund: Wildlife Research and Conservation

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The Fund provides grants for spe-cies conservation; to recognize leaders in the field of species conservation; and to elevate the importance of species in the conservation debate.

Supports projects focused on all kinds of plant and animal species.

Organisations and individuals.

Up to US$25,000

http://www.mbzspeciescon-servation.org/

National Geographic Society Conservation Trust CC

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The trust fund supports conser-vation projects and individuals who significantly contribute to preservation and sustainable use of biological, cultural, and historical resources.

US$15,000 to US$20,000

http://www.national-geographic.com/explorers/grants-programs/conserva-tion-trust/

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National Geographic Society: Grants for Conservation Field Studies

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The National Geographic Society awards several hundred grants each year for exploration, research, and conservation. The Society's grant-making programs support work in wildlife conser-vation, ecology, marine biology, sustainable agriculture, and other environmental themes.

US$12,000 to US$20,000

http://www.nationalgeo-graphic.com/field/grants-programs/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-tration (NOAA) Climate Program Office

CC

NOAA conducts and supports climate research, observa-tions, modeling, information management, assessments, interdisciplinary decision support research, outreach, education, and stakeholder partnership development.

Funds high-priority climate science, assessments, decision support research, outreach, education, and capacity-building activities.

Universities, non-profits, scientific and research firms, research labs.

US$50,000 and US$200,000 per year.

http://www.climate.noaa.gov/opportunities/

NATO - Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Program CC

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The SPS Program supports practical scientific and technical cooperation among scientists and experts from NATO and its partners. The SPS offers grants to scientists in NATO partner and Mediterranean Dialogue countries (Jordan is among these countries) to collaborate on priority research topics.

Energy security, environmental issues, management of water and non-renewable resources, desertifica-tion, land erosion, and sustainable develop-ment.

http://www.nato.int/science

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) CC

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A number of international op-portunities are available through NSERC grant and scholarship pro-grams, or are facilitated through agreements with other research funding organizations in Canada and in other countries. NSERC has invested basic research, projects involving partnerships between postsecondary institutions and industry, and the training.

Canadian institutions and research-ers, plus special funds to international researchers and institutions.

http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/

NSF - Systematics and Biodiversity Science Cluster

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The Systematics and Biodiversity Science Cluster supports research that advances understanding of the diversity, systems, and evo-lutionary history of organisms in natural systems.

Biodiversity discovery.http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503618

OPEC Fund for Interna-tional Development CC

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CD

The fund, provides grants in sup-port of technical assistance, food aid, research, and contributes to the resources of other develop-ment institutions whose work benefits developing countries,

Sustainable develop-ment is a priority.

Universities, in-stitutions, and researchers.

Typically up to US$100,000 per year.

http://www.ofid.org/

Peoples Trust for Endan-gered Species: Wildlife Research, Conservation, Education

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The Peoples Trust for Endangered Species takes on a range of pro-jects for endangered and threat-ened species and their habitats in the UK and worldwide.

Surveys and research of endangered wildlife; applied con-servation in the field; and environmental education.

Scientific researchers and conservation workers in the UK and interna-tionally.

£2,000 to £10,000

http://www.ptes.org/

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Pro Natura Fund: Wildlife Research and Conservation

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The Pro Natura Fund grants include survey research in support of species conservation; ecological research; research on alien species; wildlife research; and dissemination of environ-mental knowledge (books, websites, etc.).

Applications from outside Japan need to have referrals by a scientist/ environment group in Japan.

¥50,000 to ¥150,000

http://www.nacsj.or.jp/pn/

Ramsar Small Grants Fund BD

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The Ramsar Small Grants support projects in wetlands conserva-tion and wise use in developing countries.

Individuals, government agencies, and NGOs.

US$40,000

http://www.ramsar.org/cda/ramsar/display/main/main.jsp?zn=ramsar&cp=1-63-68-59_4000_0_

Rockefeller Foundation CC

The Rockefeller Foundation is a knowledge-based, global foun-dation with a commitment to enrich and sustain the lives and livelihoods of poor and excluded people throughout the world.

Climate change and its effects on developing countries.

Organisations and research-ers.

Varioushttp://www.rockefeller-foundation.org/

Royal Geographical Society: Grants for Conservation Field Studies

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The Royal Geographical Society makes grants for geographical research, fieldwork, and teach-ing. Grant themes are essentially all aspects of natural history, the physical world, and interactions with human populations.

Ecological surveys; studies of particular environments; climate change; and others.

Individuals (most grants go to UK nation-als, Society members, and/or students registered at UK universities).

£500 to £15,000

http://www.rgs.org/HomePage.htm

Rufford Foundation

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The Rufford Foundation is an independent grant-making trust based in the UK. The Foundation concentrates funding on nature conservation projects in develop-ing countries.

Small to medium-sized organisations.

£20,000 to £30,000

http://www.rufford.org/

SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund: Wildlife Research and Conservation

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The SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is a non-profit charitable organization for wildlife conservation. The Fund focuses on international species research; habitat protection; animal rescue and rehabilitation; and conservation education.

Non-profit organisations and accredited universities and research centres.

US$15,000 to US$25,000

http://www.swbg-conser-vationfund.org/

Swedish Research Links Program (SIDA) CC

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The Swedish Research Links Program seeks to foster research ties between researchers in Sweden with researchers in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), and other countries. Researchers from the countries involved must submit joint applications on projects of mutual interest. Research Grants are normally awarded for three years) and Planning Grant are one year. Funding is awarded for both basic and applied research.

The long-term goal is to contribute to mutual scientific and socioeconomic development of the countries involved through funding of collaborative research projects of high scientific quality and mutual relevance.

Joint ap-plication with Swedish researchers.

http://www.sida.se/English/

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Swiss Agency for Devel-opment and Coopera-tion (SDC)

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SDC’s development cooperation activities aim at building sustain-ability in developing countries so that countries can be helped to help themselves.

Climate change and environment.

Public and pri-vate partners.

http://www.sdc.admin.ch/

The Deutsche Forschun-gsgemeinschaft (DFG) CC

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CDThe DFG (German Research Foun-dation) promotes research in all fields of science and the humani-ties. Scientific and academic excellence, for the advancement of young researchers. Interdisci-plinary and internationality are key elements in the work of DFG.

Young researchers.

http://www.dfg.de/

The German Aca-demic Exchange Service (DAAD) CC

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The DAAD supports the interna-tional exchange of students and scholars. Funding programs are open to scholars from all disci-plines and countries in the world for visits to or from Germany.

Scholars from all disciplines and countries.

http://www.daad.de/

The International Development Research Center (IDRC)

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IDRC supports research in developing countries to promote growth and development. The IDRC funds research focused on reducing poverty and creating equitable access to resources and services. The applied research funded directly addresses exist-ing or emerging problems in developing countries.

Climate change, water, ecosystems, environ-mental economics, water demand, and management.

Researchers http://www.idrc.ca

The Islamic Develop-ment Bank CC

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The Islamic Development Bank fosters economic development and social progress of member countries and Muslim com-munities individually as well as jointly in accordance with the principles of Shariah (Islamic Law). The Bank has equity capital and provides loans for projects and enterprises and provides financial assistance to member countries for economic and social development.

Associations and govern-ments.

http://www.isdb.org/

Toyota Motor Corpora-tion -- Toyota Environ-mental Activities Grants Program.

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D The themes are biodiversity conservation and measures to counter global warming.

Open to appli-cants in Japan, and interna-tional partners in collaboration with Japanese groups.

http://www.toyota-global.com/sustainability/corporate_citizenship/environment/toyota_en-vironmental_activi-ties_grant_program/

U.S. Agency for Inter-national Development -- MENA Water Grants. CC

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USAID-MENA has a Water Grants Program for training, applied research, and information dissemination to transform water policy, management, and capabilities within the Middle East and North Africa.

http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=92473

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U.S. Agency for Inter-national Development -- Biodiversity and Infrastructure Develop-ment ("BUILD").

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USAID funds programs to develop and test approaches in the policy, regulatory, and plan-ning realm to reduce the threat of infrastructure development to high-biodiversity ecosystems.

http://www.fundsforngos.org/latest-funds-for-ngos/usaid-funding-opportu-nity-biodiversity-under-standing-infrastructure-landscape-development-program/

UK Darwin Initiative. BD

The UK Department for Environ-ment, Food, and Rural Affairs makes grants for biodiversity research in support of three in-ternational conventions.

http://darwin.defra.gov.uk/apply/main/

UNDP Program of Work on Protected Areas CC

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The PoWPA is a global action plan to establish comprehen-sive, effectively managed and sustainably funded protected area networks in each country. In order to support improved implementation, a number of international conservation NGOs, UN agencies, and the GEF agreed to develop a program to provide targeted financial assistance for PoWPA implementation.

http://www.protectedar-eas.org/

United Nations Educa-tional, Scientific, and Cultural Organization: Grants and Fellowships in Conservation Science

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UNESCO's Natural Sciences Sector offers grants, fellowships, and prizes related to environment and conservation. They include the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Young Scientists Awards, together with several other categories of awards.

Research on ecosystems, natural resources, and biodi-versity.

Junior and sen-ior scientists.

US$5,000

http://portal.unesco.org/science/en/ev.php-URL_ID=5879&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - Adaptation Fund

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The Adaptation Fund (AF) makes grants for projects and programs that address the adverse impacts of, and risks posed by, climate change. Themes include measures to increase resilience against the threats of droughts, flooding, coastal erosion, etc., and the negative impacts they cause for agriculture, fisheries, water supply, and related aspects of community livelihoods.

Eligibility for grants extends to countries, which are party to the Kyoto Protocol, with emphasis on develop-ing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.

Government organisations that include national ministries, development institutes, and local authori-ties.

http://www.adaptation-fund.org/

Volkswagen Foundation

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The Volkswagen Foundation provides financial support to aca-demic institutions in Germany, as well as other countries, and funding is available for projects in all disciplines. Another important part of its mission is to provide support for aspiring young academics, promote international exchange, and to enhance the structural condi-tions for research and higher education.

Young researchers.

http://www.volkswa-genstiftung.de/index.html?L=1

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Wallace Global Fund (WGF) CC

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The Fund supports activities at the global and national level, and considers significant local or regional initiatives offering the potential to leverage broader national or global impact. Both one-year and multi-year grants.

Natural resources.Research institutions.

US$50,000 average, range from US$2,000 to US$400,000.

http://www.wgf.org/about

Whitley Laing Founda-tion CC

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Wide range of awards for nature conservation projects worldwide. They have the common aim of promoting the benefits of wild-life and habitat conservation to the local communities in which applicants work. The Foundation also seeks to raise public aware-ness of the serious problems facing ecosystems.

Up to £30,000http://www.whitleyaward.org/

Wildlife Conserva-tion Society: Wildlife Research and Conserva-tion

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The WCS engages in science, conservation, education, and the support of zoos and aquariums for the protection of wildlife and wild lands worldwide. WCS is a partner in the Conservation Leadership Program, and it also sponsors small grants in the form of research fellowships.

Research projects support the WCS conservation priorities.

Students from developing countries enrolled in a masters, PhD, or DVM programme.

US$20,000

http://programs.wcs.org/Default.aspx?alias=programs.wcs.org/grants

World Bank BD

The World Bank makes grants for forest sustainability, conserva-tion of critical ecosystems, and related protection and manage-ment of biodiversity and natural resources.

Projects to support the Biodiversity Convention and global warming areas include adaptation, mitiga-tion, and capacity building.

http://wbi.worldbank.org/wbi/topic/climate-change

World Bank Small Grants Program CC

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CD

Activities supported by the Small Grants Program promote dialogue and dissemination of information about international development. These activities are most often conferences and seminars, special publications, audio-visual materials, or other innovative networking efforts that small organisations gener-ally find difficult to fund through their regular programme budgets.

Environmental protec-tion.

Programme prefers to support non-profit, NGO, non-academic organisations.

US$10,000 to US$15,000

http://www.vetiver.com/TVN_vetfund4.htm

Source: Policy-oriented National Priority Research Topics in Climate Change, Biodiversity and Combating Desertification (2013-2020). Prepared by the UNDP/GEF and the MOE (February 2013). Supplemented by additional information.

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Conclusions and Recommendations:

The international and domestic donor agencies would clearly play a crucial role in supporting the implementation of JNAP projects. Many have already funded environmental programmes in Jordan.

Linking SLM and combating desertification to poverty alleviation would help to make JNAP projects more attractive to them.

7.7 Innovative Sources of FundingThe IFS report set out a review of financial flows to SLM-related initiatives and concluded that innovative sources of financing are to a large extent untapped. There are several innovative mechanisms and instruments that could be applicable to SLM in Jordan and some of these are described below.

Economic Mechanisms and Financial Instruments in Jordan

Financial Incentives in Water Management: WAJ has adopted a progressive tariff system in order to discourage wasteful use of water. This operates with a base minimum tariff up to 20m3/month, which is considered to be an economical level of consumption. Beyond this amount, the price of water increases progressively depending on the level of usage. Furthermore, additional taxes are added as the consumption increases. This has been seen to be quite effective in reducing wasteful use of water in the domestic sector. However, the IFS report noted that this system needed to be reviewed with regards to the agricultural sector, as it is still showing some ‘resistance’ to this form of charging.

Taxation System and Tax Exemptions: The Jordanian income tax system is progressive in that taxation rises in line with income levels. In Jordan, this tiered form of tax rate also applies to the registration and sale of property, which increases with building floorspace although units of less than 120m2 are exempted from tax. Similarly, there is a sliding scale of taxation on electricity consumption. Car taxes (based on engine size), road tolls, and a vehicle pricing system (depending on location, time and car type) have also been implemented so as to reduce petrol consumption.

Jordan has been a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since April 2000 when the GOJ began to minimise or exempt some environmentally friendly products from taxes. In the agricultural sector, the government has reduced or abandoned subsidies, which were allocated to fodder and other agricultural products prior to Jordan’s membership of the WTO.

Taxation measures could be increasingly tailored to SLM in so far as tax exemptions or reductions could better focus on incentives to support nature conservation and sustainable environmental activities. This could relate to a range of taxes levied on land, income, inheritance, and sales taxes in order to protect biodiversity, promote sustainable uses, and conservation. The IFS recommended some measures for the tax system that could promote environmental sustainability, such as the following:

• Tax exemptions for individuals that contribute to voluntary work to support conservation and environmental sustainability;

• Tax incentives for businesses that use environmentally friendly technology;

• Linking sales tax exemption to buildings that have energy saving facilities such as solar panel heating, water collection devices, and heat isolation systems;

• Applying differential tax rates to land activities, which have varying environmental impacts; and,

• Additional taxes on electricity consumption.

Charging Systems: Charging users for ecosystem services and products presents a means of supporting natural resource conservation. In protected areas, for example, charging can typically include entrance fees, concession payments for tourism attractions, hunting, and fishing fees. Entry fees are currently levied for all nature reserves in Jordan (Ajloun, Dibeen, Azraq, Shaumari, Dana, Fenan, Al Mujib and Rum) and range between US$1.5-US$4.5 for Jordanians and twice that for foreigners. Hunting fees depend on the time of the year, the species, and the quantity to be hunted. The revenue from these charges can be used for community assistance, tourism marketing, or indeed for the running of the reserves.

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Penalty Charging: Environmental fines are intended to provide a disincentive for environmentally damaging activities and should be set to reflect the cost of non-compliance and an element of sanction. Money raised from fines should be used to fund environmental clean-ups, site restoration and, more broadly, to support environmental projects. The MOE have published an environmental violation guide that lists all illegal activities related to national legislation and sets out the penalties and legal texts relevant to each violation. The enforcement of non-compliance, and the imposition of penalties, necessitates a strong implementing agency, as well as an effective monitoring system. To this end, the Environment Police Unit was established in 2006, although additional qualified personnel are needed in order to enhance the environmental monitoring system in Jordan. Money from penalties should be used to support the operational running of nature reserves, for example, and to offer incentives for forestry rangers in order to improve their working conditions.

Financial Mechanisms under the Rio Conventions

The UNFCCC has specific financial instruments and economic mechanisms to deal with climate change. As a signatory to UNFCCC, Jordan can gain access to these investment funds for projects or programmes that mitigate climate change and/or aid adaptation to its consequences.

Climate Change Adaptation Funds: These adaptation funds relate to the need to reduce vulnerability to changes in the climate. UNFCC estimates the costs for these changes to amount to US$28 billion – US$57 billion per year up to 2030. The disbursement of the finance for adaptation costs is done through five funds: the Adaptation Fund (comprising 6.5% of funds); Global Climate Change Alliance (15%); Least Developed Countries Fund (23.5%); Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (44.9%); and, the Special Climate Change Fund (10.1%). The Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), for example, arose from the Marrakesh Accords, (November 2001) and specifically lists four activities that could be supported by this fund, namely: adaptation measures; technological

projects; energy, transport, industry, forestry and waste management matters; and, activities to assist developing countries to diversify their economies. MOPIC are due to submit a bid this year for SCCF money for a project dealing with new irrigation technology. The project would cost US$4.5 million with GEF providing US$2 million, NCARE providing US$1.5 million (as ‘in kind’ inputs) and other contributions would make up the balance of US$1 million. IFAD would be the implementing agency. Another example in Jordan is a WHO and UNDP SCCF ‘Adaptation to Protect Health’ project, which commenced in 2007.

The Adaptation Fund (AF) comprises the proceeds of the adaptation levy (a 2% share of transactions of the Clean Development Mechanism - CDM). It was created specifically to finance ‘concrete adaptation projects and programmes’ in countries that signed up to the Kyoto Protocol. This fund is intended to defray the costs of adaptive actions carried out to reduce climate change impacts. MOPIC, as Jordan’s National Implementation Entity for the AF, manages US$8 million that has been allocated for Jordan during 2010-2014. However, it is reported that there has been little project funding activity, although one example has been the UNDP and Government of Spain providing financing for water resources management aimed at adaptation for climate change impacts focusing on the Zarqa River basin.

Climate Change Mitigation Funds: This refers to the costs related to reducing GHG emissions, or enhancing the sinks for them. Mitigation funding plays a key role in helping developing countries to make the transition to more environmentally sustainable systems of energy production and consumption, whilst at the same time addressing the development priorities of energy security and poverty. The majority of climate funding to date has been directed towards mitigation activities, particularly in fast-growing emerging economies such as India, China, South Africa, Turkey, and Mexico, where emissions are growing rapidly. However, there has been a lack of financing for developing countries, which could use mitigation finance to pursue low-carbon development pathways and address energy poverty.

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The disbursement of the finance for mitigation costs is done through three funds: the Clean Technology Fund (comprising 66.6% of funds); GEF Trust Fund 4 (10.2%); and, GEF Trust Fund 5 (14.5%), GEF Trust Fund 6 (55%). In Jordan, mitigation funds have been allocated through the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), which supports investment in projects that reduce GHG emissions. Examples of this form of project implementation in Jordan include a number of power plants that switched from fuel oil use to natural gas (such as Aqaba and Al Samra) and the Al Ghabawi plant, which now generates biogas collected from landfill organic waste to produce electricity.

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation: REDD refers to a number of activities aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation, forest degradation, forest conservation, sustainable management of forests, and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks. Seven major bilateral and multilateral funding initiatives have been recently created to support Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation plus conservation (REDD+). Public and private finance is allowed to implement REDD+ projects.

The disbursement of financing for REDD+ projects is done principally through the following funds: the Amazon Fund (comprising 24.1% of funds); Congo Basin Forest Fund (4.3%); Forest Carbon Partnership Facility – Readiness Fund (5.6%); Forest Investment Program (14.3%); Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (37.6%); and, the UN REDD (4.1%). However, for the time being, these schemes may not be applicable to Jordan, at least in the short to medium term, as the forest industry sector is limited and emissions are small.

The Climate Funds Update (http://www.climatefundsupdate.org/) is an independent website that provides information on the international climate finance initiatives.

Other Financial Mechanisms

Public Subsidy or Payment Schemes: This could be applicable in situations where it is almost impossible for rural farmers, for example, to absorb both the total costs of agricultural

production and that for environmental conservation or in bringing land back to its natural state. Market value and product demand are the most likely factors that are likely to prevent land usage from enabling the owner to implement conservation measures. Additional constraints are likely to be the lack of access to credit, resources and knowledge; poverty; and, tenure insecurity, principally the lack of outright ownership of land. Where these constraints occur over a wide area, then there will be significant pressure on land use sustainability and activities that in turn would lead to land degradation and desertification problems. Subsequently, would lead to an increased level of rural poverty.

In cases where these conditions arise, and where land owners are willing to undertake conservation or SLM measures, then public funds could be used for private land in cases where these practices are implemented that would be expected to provide a service or improve environmental conditions. In this situation the ‘demand’ is represented by the government, which would need to decide what kind of activities would constitute a public good and justify public funding. These public subsidy and funding schemes can include the following forms:

• Conservation Easements: This is a guarantee that a piece of land, which is in private ownership, can only be used for environmental or conservation purposes, or as a right of way, for example. It would form part of the land title with agreement with the existing landowner and is often applied to the conservation of forests or areas of ecological importance. The owner may receive a tax break or tax incentives in return.

• Farmland Set-asides: A portion of agricultural land is left uncultivated or is kept in non-agricultural use under an agreement with the landowner. This is typically used in the European Union (as part of the Common Agricultural Policy) in cases where there is surplus production and payments are made not to farm the land that is set aside. Instead the land is used to attract wildlife and to increase ecologically attractive areas.

• Co-financed Investments: This would require government-funded incentives to promote

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activities that would not otherwise be feasible. The land usage or activities to be funded would be considered to be of public or communal benefit. Thus, a re-forestation programme or a wetland ecological zone would be publicly funded as part of a mixed used development for example. Alternatively, as part of a public-private or joint venture project investment, it could be that the capital cost of such an area that is deemed to be in the public good is borne by the private sector but the on-going management of it becomes the responsibility of the public authority.

• Payments for Proven Investments in Land Conservation: The government provides a payment based on the investments already made for conservation purposes, per unit of area. China’s ‘four wastelands’ policy is a variation of this mechanism where the government makes in-kind payments of land rights to those who commit to preserving soil resources.

• Government Subsidies: The government provides direct subsidies to those who implement SLM policies or other environmentally beneficial measures, for example (such as water treatment plants, energy-efficient light bulbs and soil conservation equipment). These subsidies could be in the form of non-monetary arrangements, such as providing technical assistance, and the supply of seeds and plants.

• Taxes, Tax Breaks, Environmental Fees: Environmental taxes may be levied on bad land use practice in order to help encourage SLM. Schemes such as the Green Dot in Germany impose a payment per unit of packaging in order to encourage reductions in solid waste. Charges on the effluent discharge from domestic and industrial water users have been used to finance water clean-up projects and reduce effluents at the source. China’s soil erosion control fees charge developers for environmental damage. Some states in Brazil allocate value-added tax revenues according to environmental criteria through an “ecological VAT”.

Debt Swap Programmes: Debt swaps involve exchanging foreign debt, at a discount, for local

development or investment projects. Thus, debt is priced at less than its face value in order to reflect the risk that an indebted country may not be able to pay the debt back. Debt swap programmes assist developing and poor countries to repay their debts or financial obligations by initiating projects or programmes that would support global environmental sustainability. Thus, the creditor country offers to swap some of the debt it holds in return for local projects in the debtor country, which would provide benefits for the environment, health, education and/or poverty alleviation. The cost of implementing these projects would be deducted from the national debt. Governments usually make bilateral agreements for debt swaps. Jordan has used this mechanism through various agencies, such as through the MOE’s Forestry Department in order to support sustainable forestry management.

Debt swaps are signed according to the Paris Club Proceedings with two types used: debt swap for development; and, debt swap for investment. Each involves a separate mechanism, with debt swap for development being the most applicable to financing environmental projects. This has been successfully used in Jordan for a number of projects and needs the coordination and approval of MOF and MOPIC. Thus, for example, the Jordan-France Committee agreed in 2001 to reduce Jordan’s debt to France in return for implementing the enlargement of the Ma’an Treatment Plant. There are many creditor countries that volunteer to swap their credits for development projects in Jordan.

The process for debt swaps typically follows these steps:

1. The GOJ as debtor government would choose development projects from its General Budget. In cooperation with related ministries, the GOJ submits a brief description for each project for creditor countries;

2. A creditor country would then study the projects and choose those that would be appropriate to swap the debt;

3. Both parties would then sign an agreement to swap the debt at a discount (normally up to 50% of the original debt);

4. GOJ would then finance the approved

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project/s and submit financial reports to the creditor country; and,

5. The creditor country then exchanges the agreed debt after ensuring that the appropriate investment has been made.

There are some cases where an NGO can offer to finance a development project and the GOJ will agree to refund the project value in order to swap some of its debt. This financing mechanism helps Jordan to establish a number of local projects and debt swapping at the same time.

Fair Trade: Fair trade is a growing, international movement, which aims to ensure that producers in poor countries get a fair deal for products sold. This means a reasonable price for goods that relate to production costs and enables a living income, reflects long-term contracts, and which provides real security for producers. Support is also needed to improve the knowledge and skills to develop businesses and increase sales. The Fair Trade movement has been one of the most powerful responses to problems facing commodity producers. It provides consumers with an opportunity to use purchasing power to influence the trading balance in favour of the poor. Fair Trade Jordan was set up in 2005 by an alliance between the JOHUD, RSCN and the IUCN. In mid-2006, seed funding from the British Embassy enabled the operation to move towards the development of a fully independent fair trade entity. However, it is now understood that Fair Trade Jordan has closed down.

Soft Loans and Micro-lending: Soft loans involve flexible forms of payment or at much lower interest rates to help finance activities that provide both conservation value and economic benefits to beneficiaries. Ecotourism, organic farming, and the sustainable extraction of forest products are examples of these activities. In Jordan there are a number of agencies, such as the Agricultural Credit Corporation and JOHUD’s Small Business Development Center, that support small and micro-businesses through credit programmes.

Endowment Funds: Endowment funds can be set up from public and/or private resources. The interest earned on an endowment fund can be used for conservation purposes, while

the original capital remains invested. RSCN’s Jordan Fund for Nature is an example of an endowment fund, which was created in 2003 to provide a source of annual revenue to support the agency’s operational costs. The fund’s capital is invested under a professional management agency and the return is distributed annually to fund the running costs of the protected areas, the endangered species programme, education and awareness activities, socio-economic and community initiatives, and many other aspects of the RSCN’s work.

Bioprospecting: Bioprospecting involves conducting scientific research into the use of genetic resources in commercial markets that meet pharmaceutical, horticultural, cosmetic, botanical, or agricultural needs. The goal of bioprospecting is the identification of genetic resources that could be used to develop commercially viable products that meet consumer needs and provide incentives for biodiversity conservation. In Jordan, for example, the Royal Scientific Society, NCARE, and JBRDC are involved in projects that aim to extract medicinal ingredients from native plants. Revenue can be obtained from the sale of medicinal herbs and plants that could support research or indeed contribute to the operational costs of protected areas.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training Fund: The TVET Fund was set up in 2008 to improve the efficiency and quality of technical skills training, in collaboration with the private sector, and in order to create new or expanded employment opportunities. The fund aims to support technical and vocational education and training in public and private sector institutions. It provides financing for training needs’ assessments, demand-driven training, curriculum development, training materials and equipment, the training of trainers, and on-the-job training. The TVET Fund has supported several projects in the agriculture and tourism sectors.

Eco-labeling and Certification of Products and Services: This relates to the ecological labeling and certification of products and services, which assures buyers that the production processes involved, or the services offered, have a neutral or positive effect on environmental conditions.

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It can be an effective method of promoting SLM and conservation practices. Perhaps the best-known example of this is the application of environmentally sustainable timber harvesting implemented on a global scale. Products which have been officially certified as environmentally-friendly products and services can often gain preferential treatment, access to certain markets, and better prices, as consumers are willing to pay more for them. However, the transaction is via an intermediary, rather than directly between the buyer and the seller.

• Marketing Labels: Products are sold to consumers or retailers who prefer to support suppliers that are good environmental managers. For example, the Rainforest Alliance conserves valuable forest land by promoting sustainable farming practices for coffee, cocoa and black tea in the Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Kenya. Another example is the voluntary partnership agreements that Ghana and the Republic of Congo recently signed with the EU to ensure that timber exports are legally harvested and can be allowed entry into the EU market. The agreement stipulates that all timber products must be harvested in ways that protect the country’s forests. The EU is engaged in negotiations for similar agreements in other countries, including Cameroon, Ecuador, Gabon, and Vietnam.

• Certification Schemes: This requires that a third party provides written assurance that a product, process or service complies with certain standards. Compliance is certified by verification methods, which are recognised and approved by a third-party certification body. These standards can be established through:

1. International bodies such as the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements and the International Organization for Standardization;

2. NGOs such as the Forest Stewardship Council and the Rainforest Alliance; or

3. Industrial organisations such as exporter/retailer groups (eg: European Good Agricultural Practice (EUROPEGAP).

7.8 Private Sector Funding and SupportThere appears to be little private sector involvement in SLM and desertification projects in Jordan, especially relative to donor agency project funding. This is a conclusion that both the IFS and the Policy Oriented Research Priorities Guidelines Procedures and Tools (2013) documents made. Jordan’s Companies Law of 1997 and its subsequent amendments state that publicly listed shareholder companies must allocate a fixed percentage of their profits to supporting universities, scientific research and professional training. Some companies already fund community health, environmental or poverty alleviation programmes with no financial returns in order to improve their environmental credentials and to meet Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) targets.

The Jordan Phosphate Mines Company allocates roughly 2% of its profits to communities and environmental projects close to its mining investments. HSBC provides a fixed amount of its budget to environmental initiatives, which are selected from funding proposals sent to the bank. The Arab Potash Company supports community initiatives, such as funding student scholarships in areas close to its investments and by contributing to agricultural loans. The Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company also provides lump sum funding for environmental projects.

Private sector involvement in SLM could be increased if the conditions are made more attractive, especially in terms of the regulatory frameworks and through greater tax incentives. The IFS report referred to the fact that environmental legislation does not contain specific provisions for the role of the private sector. From a public sector perspective the MOE’s Forestry Department has initiated a national reforestation project in order to encourage private sector participation. Thus, areas of forest are allocated to private companies who undertake fencing, maintenance, and irrigation improvements, and in return they are granted tax break incentives.

Private sector organisations could offer more support to environmental projects in the form of best practice models for SLM compliance, making

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financial contributions to projects, providing training support (such as in management, technical expertise and research), and also by offering skilled staff to help run projects and community organisations, for example. Companies could provide new technologies and skills for SLM, especially in the fields of water recycling, energy conservation, and food production. In addition, they could supply advice on for-profit operations and market conditions, such as for tourism destinations, in order to help defray SLM project costs.

Public-Private Partnerships: Public-private sector partnerships (PPPs) have become an effective mechanism for implementing infrastructure and environmental projects worldwide. This form of collaboration can apply the resources and capabilities of both public and private sectors to environmental initiatives, which and strengthened if the partnerships are extended to include local communities. The public sector can provide the enabling conditions for project implementation whilst the private sector can provide the investment, technical expertise, marketing know-how, and skilled employees. Local communities and NGOs can fulfill an effective monitoring role combined with local environmental knowledge. Consequently, partnerships should be as broad as possible in which all stakeholders, including the private sector, should take ownership of project decision-making as well as the process and outcomes.

The concept of PPPs was successfully introduced in the UK for development and urban regeneration projects in the early 1990s with the City Challenge Partnerships. These PPPs incorporated a three-way partnership for selected regeneration areas between local authorities, local businesses, and community groups. The local businesses had a clear investment stake in these areas and a direct interest in promoting their revival. During project work, they typically contributed some funding, technical know-how and management expertise (sometimes seconding staff to project teams). They were also able to provide realistic market-based approaches to project development and implementation. This approach has been taken forward in the UK since then and applied to town centre improvement schemes, regional and rural regeneration strategies, and area-based renewal projects.

Community Based Tourism Projects: There have been numerous examples of the successful implementation of community-based tourism initiatives worldwide, which have adopted three-way partnership approaches between the public sector (local and national government agencies), community groups (comprising village representatives and NGOs) and the private sector (mostly from the travel trade but also represented by local companies). In fact, few community-based tourism projects are successful without private sector involvement as they provide not only project funding but also market-based knowledge that can support long-term sustainability. Thus, travel trade and tour operators can contribute market advice for a project and indeed a stake in it, such as by including a community-based tourism project on tour itineraries or indeed by funding environmental improvements. Private sector investment is often directed towards SLM initiatives in these tourism ventures as it is seen as the key to the long-term continuity of a project.

Private Sector Involvement in Development Aid: Private sector involvement in global development aid for emerging markets has grown rapidly in the last ten years. Thus, there are private sector initiatives such as Walmart’s Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative, Goldman Sach’s 10,000 Women Initiative, the Clinton Global Initiative, the Rockefeller Foundation and, of course, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), which is the largest private foundation in the world. The primary aim of BMGF is to support health care and reduce poverty, and in June 2013 it was able to draw on a budget of US$38.3 billion. The foundation has been involved in agricultural projects worldwide, as well as in water and sanitation initiatives.

Private Sector Credit Incentives for SLM: The notion of integrating SLM and poverty-related issues into the criteria for providing credit and loans has long been an integral part of micro-lending services that were initially heralded by the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh during the 1990s. This has mushroomed globally and, in Grameen Bank’s experience, found to be more profitable than traditional bank lending services. However, the concept of integrating SLM principles into mainstream bank lending has not taken root. In Jordan’s case, the prospects for

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effectively implementing SLM on a broader basis could receive a major boost if bank loan criteria could integrate environmental conditions and potential impacts into project development. This could have a particularly important effect for the environmental remediation and mitigation of mining activities, for example, or indeed on water use for specific projects.

KEY ISSUES FOR SLM PROJECT IM

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8. KEY ISSUES FOR SLM PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

8.1 Constraints and Opportunities for Project Funding and Implementation JNAP represented the definitive national plan to combat desertification in response to Jordan’s obligations under UNCCD. Since 2006, there has been only limited progress in implementing the projects that were set out. A report prepared by the Science Triangle for Research Training and Management in March 2012 (‘Developing Policy-Oriented Research Guidelines, Procedures and Tools to Support Implementing Rio Conventions in Jordan’) provided an update on JNAP’s project implementation progress. In essence, little seems to have been achieved (as is shown in Appendix 1 with progress highlighted in yellow) under the plan’s programmes and projects.

The reasons for the slow progress in implementing JNAP projects can be attributed to the reasons described below. Opportunities for overcoming these constraints are outlined in ‘recommendations’ below, and subsequently set out as projects in the Implementation Framework (see Section 10.6).

Desertification not Viewed as a Top Funding Priority: Desertification has not been placed as a budgeting priority in Jordan. During 2007-2009, GOJ expenditure on desertification projects was only 0.6% of the JD32million (US$48 million) total for environmental sector expenditure. One reason for this could be that the NCCD was not fully operational and thus, JNAP initiatives were not being properly implemented (IFS, 2008). Another factor could have been that the subject matter of desertification has not been widely recognised, whereas SLM has been accepted as such and, furthermore, is placed at a higher priority level (in conjunction with poverty alleviation) with donor agencies. The UN Common Country Assessment and UN Development Assistance Framework has referred to ‘sustainable management of natural resources and the environment’ as one of the priority areas and outcomes related to MDGs.

Recommendations: Increasing the prioritisation of desertification projects could be achieved by linking them directly to SLM themes as well as poverty alleviation, which would relate to a broader topic spectrum that is more relevant to donor agency funding objectives. This would also attract greater priority from government budgetary allocations, especially if there were project links to water management and agriculture. These SLM themes should have more evident

profile within the various national sectoral plans and strategies.

Government Agency Overlaps in Responsibility: There is overlap and duplication of responsibilities, combined with a lack of clarity on mandates, between government ministries dealing with environmental matters. For example, there are eight agencies dealing with the establishment and management of protected areas: MOE, MOPIC, MOTA, MOA, Natural Resources Authority, JVA, Aqaba Regional Authority, HCST (on the Badia Research and development Program), and the RSCN. The authority to prepare plans and strategies that are relevant to SLM is also dispersed amongst several institutions, such as the MOE, MOA, MWI, WAJ, JVA, and others. Consequently, these institutions also share responsibility for law enforcement, making it difficult for the MOF to keep track of the revenues raised from fines and to effectively disburse these funds for environmental protection activities.

Disconnection Between Technical Work and Policy Making: Both the NCSA report (National Capacity Self Assessment for Global Environmental Management – Jordan - prepared by the MOE in 2007) and the Policy-oriented National Priority Research Topics in Climate Change, Biodiversity and Combating Desertification (2013-2020) - UNDP/GEF and the MOE highlighted in February


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2013 the disconnection between the scientific/technical sectors and policy-making as being one of the main constraints in funding and project implementation. Thus, environmental policy decisions were often not based on sound research and did not have a scientific basis for action. This has been attributed to weak linkages between scientific research and policy-making bodies, and a lack of coordination between agencies working in the SLM field. The IFS also commented on the reactive application of policies with problems being addressed only as they arose rather than through any anticipation. Thus, strategies and plans have been seen to address the consequences rather than the root causes of environmental problems.

Lack of an Integrated SLM Policy Framework: Whilst there are a range of sectoral strategies, programmes and plans, there is no integrated policy framework for SLM. Furthermore, national strategies and plans are not consistent and therefore do not benefit from potential synergies between similar activities implemented by different institutions. An increasingly evident example of this in terms of funding for environmental programmes is the lack of coordination in Jordan between projects proposed under climate change, biodiversity, and that of desertification (relevant to obligations to the UNFCCC, CBD and UNCCD, respectively).

Recommendations: There is a need to integrate research and project implementation and to provide a cohesive approach to SLM that would incorporate Jordan’s obligations to the three Rio Conventions (UNCCD, UNFCCC and CBD). This has been discussed in Section 5. There are clear overlaps and synergies in terms of the subject matter for each of these UN Conventions and thus, Jordan’s approach and response to their obligations must avoid duplication of resource allocations and project objectives. This could be manifested in the form of either an overall national environmental umbrella forum for all three Rio Conventions or a central coordinating body that oversees the national committees dealing with the UNCCD, CBD, and the UNFCCC. Whichever format is selected, it should include decision makers, representatives of implementing agencies, government ministries, the private sector, NGOs, and community-based organisations

as stakeholders.

The Policy-oriented National Priority Research Topics in Climate Change, Biodiversity and Combating Desertification (2013-2020) document, which was prepared by the UNDP/GEF and MOE in February 2013, recommended that there should be a central coordinating organisation, such as the National Research Council, which could be in charge of the following activities:

• Supporting the need for synergy between research priorities and activities;

• Assessing and coordinating national capacity building needs;

• Establishing mechanisms for the effective coordination of research and reporting;

• Promoting a participatory role between stakeholders in research activities;

• Coordinating and networking with international partners in order to develop synergy in research programmes; and,

• Centralising information about research funding opportunities

• Building joint proposals to access additional funding.

The argument for maintaining separate national committees for each of the UN Conventions with an overseeing national environmental forum, rather than a cohesive organisation dealing with all three Convention requirements, could depend on the need to have different stakeholders for each of the convention requirements, although it is likely that most stakeholders would probably cover all three. Notwithstanding this, the need to accommodate different stakeholders, could be dealt with through working groups.

Lack of a Comprehensive Desertification Database: There is no detailed and up-to-date database, which is able to track and monitor land degradation and desertification. The NSMLUP has been the most comprehensive database produced (in 1995) but has not been updated and is not in sufficient detail for much of the country. Other information databases exist but have not been brought together in an integrated, updated, and digital form. Available database information


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that is useful for monitoring desertification is currently sourced from:

1. The NSMLUP as the GIS database for soil, topographic and geological maps held by the MOA (Directorate of Land and Irrigation);

2. The MOA also holds the Jordan Soil and Climate Information System (JOSCIS);

3. The RSCN has a GIS database of wildlife and vegetation;

4. The University of Jordan (Faculty of Agriculture) has a database on soil science covering the steppes area. This serves as a guide for optimal land uses in these areas and for desertification monitoring; and,

5. JSDCBD also has information collected for the Badia area since 1990.

Recommendations: It is essential that there is continuous monitoring of the desertification situation in Jordan and hence a means of determining whether SLM policies are effective. This would be the real test in establishing the success or failure in fulfilling the country’s obligations to UNCCD. The monitoring and evaluation process for combating desertification should be done on an annual basis. However, in order to achieve this there needs to be a firm basis for assessment, or baseline condition. Currently, this does not exist and many different information databases are in existence. The IFS suggests that the IFAD/GEF Management Information System may be a good foundation for this to be established. Consequently, a comprehensive system must be set up in tandem with the NCCD/UNCCD as a first step. Thereafter, the indicators to be used as the basis for measuring desertification in Jordan would need to be determined. Again, the IFS recommended that the ongoing BELP programme and its monitoring and evaluation system would be a useful example in helping to achieve this.

This database should be kept and updated in one location. It could be in MOMA where updating would benefit from regular information provision from Jordan’s municipalities and governorates, and also so that information

could be more readily coordinated with land use planning. Alternatively, institutions such as the National Library, the Royal Scientific Society, or the Royal Geographic Society could accommodate the database and be responsible for information revision, and also to ensure that the public has free and easy access to it. It is also important to ensure that information supplied on the database would be useful for the monitoring and evaluation for all three Rio Convention requirements.

Insufficient Public Sector Capacity to Promote SLM: Staff training in government agencies has not been sufficient to lead efforts to combat desertification and SLM. This is especially so with regards to pursuing collaborative efforts with universities and research institutions. This has been recognised by the MOE but also applies to other ministries. This situation underlines the need to allocate more resources to capacity building and upgrading the institutional set-up for combating desertification. There is also a lack of awareness of the importance of SLM, at all levels.

Gaps and Contradictions in Environmental Legislation: The IFS undertook a detailed review of national policies and legislation where relevant to combating desertification. It identified several important omissions, contradictions, and disincentives. The document also recommended that several policies, including those on water, agriculture and land, be revised. In the case of the Environment Protection Law 2006, the IFS identified some shortcomings that could hinder resource mobilisation and identified following areas that should be included in legislation:

• The polluter pays principle that forms an important mechanism for cost recovery;

• The principle of avoiding natural resource depletion beyond a threshold that would lead to irreversible impacts;

• The importance of cooperation between public agencies and the private sector;

• The use of economic incentives to support sustainable natural resource use, rather than punitive measures that would require heavy enforcement;


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• The possibilities of claiming compensation for environmental damage;

• The introduction of penalties that would be stringent enough to ensure compliance. Currently, what fines and sanctions that do exist are often not commensurate with the severity of the offence and do not provide sufficient compensation for the damage caused;

• The role of civil society and environmental pressure groups in monitoring; and

• The need for compulsory insurance coverage for those activities deemed of high environmental risk.

• The need for a comprehensive legistaltive framework for Environemntal Impacts Assessement.

In general, there is an ineffective deterrent system against environmental damage or pollution. Some penalties are inadequate when compared with the environmental damage they are intended to deter. In addition, inconsistencies and ambiguities in the legislation that seeks to address similar issues result in loopholes for avoiding penalties. This is further undermined by the weak personnel capacity and the poor implementation record of law enforcement.

Recommendations: Environmental legislation needs to be comprehensively reviewed and consolidated. For example, it should incorporate a system of penalties that would deter environmental damage and provide incentives for environmental improvements and sustainable practices. This may need to include the recycling of revenue from fines or charges back into environmental improvements rather than allowing all of it to be directed into the treasury. Thus, nature park fines and charges should be re-invested to fund the operation of that resource from which the funds were derived. Legislation needs to address the requirements of the three Rio Conventions and to support Jordan’s obligations in fulfilling them. Legislation should also seek to support private sector CSR.

Weak Private Sector Investment into SLM: Private sector funding and support for SLM is at an embryonic level in Jordan. The involvement of the

private sector in environmental projects could be enhanced if the conditions are made more attractive, especially if the legal and regulatory frameworks, and tax incentives, encouraged this. The private sector could also offer more support, in terms of both financial assistance and skills, to environmental projects. They should be part of broad-based partnership operations that also include the public sector and NGO/community organisations.

8.2 Key Issues Undermining Desertification and SLM PlansThere are also some broad-ranging issues that affect desertification and the ability to combat it on a long-term and institutionalised basis, as well as the prospects for pursuing SLM. These are dealt with below and have been subsequently set out as projects in the Implementation Framework (see Section 10.6).

Need for a Strong Framework for Environmental Controls: Whilst the Environmental Law of 2006 outlined the legislative basis for EIAs and EMPs there needs to be a rigorous application of these tools and a proper enforcement of their use. To date there seems, at best, to be a haphazard application of EIAs for development schemes and a weak adoption of EMPs, which would mitigate impacts during project construction and operation. Whilst there is an Environmental Police Unit, there also needs to be an appropriate department in the MOE, which would be charged with ensuring that EIAs are properly undertaken (according to the regulations) and mitigation measures are implemented, together with the necessary EMPs. Currently, enforcement procedures take too long to implement and punitive measures are generally seen to be ineffective.

Nature reserves’ management plans also need to be drafted and implemented with the appropriate staffing levels. PA management plans should take account of activities and appropriate zoning measures to limit human activities (preferably with a charging mechanism in order to help fund the implementation of it). For tourism destinations, especially in ecologically sensitive environments, levels of carrying capacity need to be established that are based on the type of attraction, the environmental character,


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surrounding communities, and the ecological sensitivity of the area.

SEAs should be implemented in tandem with regional and area-based land use plans and would help to inform their preparation through the consultation requirements and consideration of options. This would help to identify the key environmental issues and to address them at an early stage. At the other end of the spectrum, the environmental certification of companies and industrial activities would help to control effluent discharges, solid waste disposal and the use of water and energy at the local level. This, for example, could help to deal with impacts associated with mining activities, industrial discharges leading to air and water pollution, and the over-abstraction of water resources. Punitive financial measures, which would deter infringement, could be used to recycle funds into an improved enforcement system, such as the adoption of a specific environmental court. Oversight and enforcement would need the cooperation of NGOs, local communities, and the general public.

Whilst the institution of a strict environmental impact system in Jordan would require significant human and financial resources to implement, it would mean that funding for desertification, biodiversity, and climate change plans would be more effective. Currently, projects and plans that are implemented to meet Jordan’s obligations to the three Rio Conventions are being undermined at the same time by the weak application of a broader range of environmental controls.

Need for an Effective System of Land Use Planning and Development Control: A rigorous land use planning system at the national, regional and local level is needed, that could plan for the levels of population growth that Jordan is experiencing and would be able to deal with the current pattern of illegal development. A national spatial plan, which would take its cue from the National Five Year Plans, is required in order to provide a firm foundation for strategic policies and plans throughout Jordan. This should be followed by regional five-year plans and, at the more local level, governorate, municipal or local rural plans that would act as the detailed implementation tools. Thus, forward planning for spatial uses to

accommodate national population growth and economic development would be structured at the national level and be taken forward into regional plans.

The regional plans would in turn act as the framework for the detail of the local plans within which public sector and private sector development would be guided. The proposed SEA, EIA and EMP framework (as described above) would need to be dovetailed into the land use planning system. In addition, there should be protected area plans, conservation area plans and specific action area plans as determined by the local authorities where necessary. All this would require forward planning and plan preparation teams at the national, regional and local authority levels. In addition, there would have to be development control (and enforcement) teams at the local level in order to monitor development and ensure compliance with approved plans. Plan preparation would have to go through public consultation procedures and achieve strong consensus in order to attain legitimacy and community acceptance.

Without a legitimate and rigorously enforced system of land use planning, in conjunction with an equally effective environmental impact and control system, efforts in fulfilling obligations towards the UNCCD, as well as towards CBD and UNFCCC would be undermined. Activities that seek to promote SLM through ad hoc projects would continue to be weakened if there was no effective system of land use planning coupled with a strong degree of development control. Encroachment into prime agricultural land and forests, urban sprawl and unplanned development would continue unabated whatever projects might be successfully implemented to combat desertification. In tandem with properly executed land use plans would come the proper planning of infrastructure (for utilities and transport). Without this there would be the continued over-abstraction of water, uncontrolled dirty water discharge and the over-development of land, all of which would contribute to increasing desertification.

The GOJ has obtained funding from the World Bank and the French Development Agency for the Regional and Local Development Project to


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promote regionally balanced local development, principally through municipalities. This would include the strengthening of municipal financial management, inter-municipal coordination to take advantage of strategic development opportunities, as well as improvements to the regulatory framework and development control mechanisms. The project will be implemented by MOMA in conjunction with Greater Amman Municipality, other municipalities, civil society organisations and NGOs.

Regular Monitoring and Evaluation of Areas of Desertification: It is essential that there is continuous monitoring of desertification in Jordan and hence a means of determining whether SLM policies are effective. This would be the real test in assessing the success or failure in fulfilling the country’s obligations to UNCCD. The monitoring and evaluation of the factors associated with desertification should be done on an annual basis, at least. However, in order to achieve this there needs to be a firm basis for assessment, or baseline condition. Currently, it appears that this does not exist (see above on the need for a detailed and comprehensive database). Consequently, this needs to be established in tandem with the NCCD and UNCCD as a first step together with the indicators that would be used as the basis for measuring desertification.

Recommendations: The three key issues outlined above in Section 8.2 have a very important bearing on SLM and the implementation of projects to combat desertification. They need to form three specific projects to be undertaken as part of the revised JNAP (see Section 10.6).

PROJECT PRIORITISATION


9. PROJECT PRIORITISATION

9.1 National Strategy and Action Plan to Combat Desertification JNAP outlined projects and guidelines for national action to combat desertification in 2006. The purpose, objectives, and structure of the document are summarised in Section 5.2 of this document. It aimed to set out an integrated development plan to combat desertification and to deal with a range of associated environmental issues that would be aligned with the UNCCD aim to combat desertification and to mitigate the effects of drought. It was the country’s first comprehensive plan to do this.

Each of JNAP’s six programmes included a number of specific projects and these are provided in full in Appendix 1. The implementation progress achieved up to March 2012 is highlighted in yellow. As can be seen, since 2006, there has been only limited progress in carrying out JNAP’s proposed projects. What implementation there has been was achieved in a haphazard way, principally as a result of other national sectoral plans and programmes. For example, JNAP Programme 4 projects that were directed towards the restoration of the Badia rangelands was carried out with ECF financing, which arose from the influx of refugees from the Gulf Wars. Similarly, the Programme 5 watershed management projects were partially implemented by NGOs, the MWI and MOA, almost irrespective of the JNAP.

The reasons for the lack of progress are numerous and briefly explained in Section 8, most of which are not directly related to the content of JNAP. However, one of the weaknesses of JNAP was that there was no comprehensive programme for implementation that set out timelines for the specified projects, nor had programmes and plans been prioritised. In addition, there has been no formalised monitoring and evaluation of JNAP projects. This needs to be addressed in the revised JNAP.

Monitoring and evaluation, in particular, would be an important part of JNAP implementation, as it would provide a review mechanism for the modification of programmes, establishing

priorities and the need to implement activities based on feedback from local communities in the most affected areas. However, what the 2006 JNAP did do was to establish a first step that would form a useful basis for subsequent revised plans to be prepared.

9.2 IFS Assessment of Project Priorities The IFS team undertook a project prioritisation exercise using the programmes and projects that JNAP had proposed and adopted the following approach:

• Literature research on the criteria for evaluation and a review of best practice methodologies for this type of work;

• A review of the JNAP document and establishing a framework for the selection criteria and analytical objectives;

• In-house brainstorming sessions by the consultant team on the development of criteria and methods of quantification; and,

• An additional brainstorming session that included the team and representatives of MOPIC and MOE.

Based on this approach, the team adopted the following prioritisation criteria:

1. The three Rio Conventions’ ‘Markers’ (RM1, RM2 and RM3);

2. Geographical location (and whether the project falls within an area of high land



degradation);

3. The level of priority attributed to SLM and combating desertification in national planning policy. Thus, the agricultural, water, poverty alleviation, and environmental/sustainability sectors all received equal ranking. Those projects that related to two of these sectors received double ranking points;

4. The JNAP content for which equal weighting of all six programmes was given;

5. The duration for project implementation (short-term, medium-term, long-term). Short term projects received the highest ranking points and long term projects the lowest, in order to reflect the perceived implementation risks;

6. The estimated budget required. Thus, projects with the lowest of the three budget categories (up to US$1 million) received higher ranking than the highest budget category of US$3-US$5 million. This was based on the anticipated ease of implementation;

7. Project and programme outputs. These were categorised into revenue generation, capacity building for sustainability, direct impact on SLM, and those schemes that were a prerequisite for other projects. All four received equal weighting;

8. Likely environmental and social impacts. Projects were assumed to have positive impacts according to ‘direct’, ‘indirect’ and ‘cumulative’ and were given a corresponding ranking of points from three to one, respectively. Those projects that would have an impact on local beneficiaries were given double the points of those that would have national benefits alone;

9. The contribution to combating desertification was based on four criteria with points allocated from four to one as follows (with the most important first): research and enhancement of knowledge base; awareness; strengthening of the regulatory framework; and, eliminating or decreasing land degradation; and,

10. The institutional capacity of the implementing agency was based on four criteria: good research and sound basis for development; sufficient level of awareness of SLM and desertification; law enforcement and/or policy advocacy; and, SLM track record. One point was allocated to each.

Each of the above criteria was then given a relative ranking of ‘low’ (1-5%), ‘medium’ (5-10%) and ‘high’ (10-15%). In this way, Criteria 1 and 4 numbered above received a 5% value; Criteria 2,3,5,6, 9 and 10 received a 10% value; and, Criteria 7 and 8 received the highest value of 15%.

The outcome of the IFS project prioritisation

exercise is presented in the table below.

Figure 9.1 – IFS Project Prioritisation of JNAP

# Project Program Score Value(%) Priority

1 Community Based Rangeland RehabilitationProgram 4. Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems of Rangelands and Forests

77.67 High

2 House Roof Water HarvestingProgram 5. Watershed Management

74.75 High

3 Establishing a National Fund toCombat Desertification

Program 3.Capacity Building and Institutional Development

73.42 Hight

4 Rehabilitation and Development of Forest Environ-ment

Program 4. Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems of Rangelands and Forests

72.33 Hight

5 National Training Programs on Desertification Moni-toring and Control

Program 3. Capacity Building and Institutional Development

69.67 Hight

6 Integrated Socio-Economic Development of Com-munities in the Arid Lands of Jordan

Program 6. Human, Social and Economic Development Program

67.75 Hight

7 Establishing a Desertification DatabaseProgram 1. Desertification Information System (DIS)

66.33 Medium

8 Documentation of Traditional Knowledge on Soil and Water Conservation

Program 5. Watershed Management

61.67 Medium



# Project Program Score Value(%) Priority

9 Public AwarenessProgram 1.Desertification Information System (DIS)

59.83 Medium

10 Desertification Legal Framework for Monitoring and Development

Program 3. Capacity Building and Institutional Development

59.67 Medium

11 Use of Reclaimed Water for Green Belt Areas around Villages and along Roads in Arid Areas


59.67 Medium

12 Assessment of Drought ImpactsProgram 2. Drought Prediction and Desertification Control

58.33 Medium

13 Desertification MappingProgram 1. Desertification Information System (DIS)

56.67 Medium

14 Modules for Comprehensive Training for Communi-ties

Program 6. Human, Social and Economic Development Program

54.00 Low

15 Centre for Drought Monitoring and Prediction (CDMP)Program 2. Drought Prediction and Desertification Control

53.33 Low

16 National Rainfall Water Harvesting Project for Agriculture Farming


52.00 Low

17 Artificial Recharge of GroundwaterProgram 5. Watershed Management

46.00 Low

Source: IFS Final Report (December 2008)

High priority projects were identified in order of importance as being: Community Based Rangeland Rehabilitation; House Roof Water Harvesting; Establishing a National Fund to Combat Desertification; and, Rehabilitation and Development of Forest Environment. The importance of the IFS project prioritisation was that it was prepared under the supervision of MOPIC, MOE, and GM in close consultation with the NCCD. The IFS was also prepared as part of a shift in donor financing approach that focused on mainstreaming UNCCD issues into national development programming processes. Project prioritisation was directly related to the JNAP projects outlined in 2006.

However, the downside of the IFS prioritisation exercise is that the brainstorming sessions only involved MOPIC and MOE from outside the consultant team, rather than a broader range of stakeholders. In addition, the exercise was undertaken five years ago and would need to be updated as part of the preparation of the revised JNAP.

9.3 UNDP, GEF and MOE Assessment of Research PrioritiesIn February 2013, UNDP, GEF and MOE’s document Policy-oriented National Priority Research Topics in Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Combating

Desertification (2013-2020) (with Guidelines, Procedures, Tools and Potential Funding Sources to Support their Implementation in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan undertook its own prioritisation assessment. This covered a review of research topics related to the three Rio Conventions. The range of stakeholders involved in the exercise was significant and included the following: government ministries (MOE, MWI, MOA, MEMR, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and MOSD); seven state universities and a number of other private universities; research institutes such as HCST, NCARE and BRDC; NGOs such as the JES, JSDCBD, RSCN, Royal Botanic Garden and the Jordan Society for Scientific Research; and, three thematic research groups related to Jordan’s obligations to the UNCCD, UNFCCC, and CBD.

The UNDP, GEF and MOE team developed a set of prioritisation criteria, which was then presented to the stakeholders for feedback. There were six main criteria related to the three Rio Conventions, as follows: 1. Relevance to the Rio Conventions;2. Sustainability factors;3. Social factors;4. Risk and urgency; 5. Opportunity; and,6. Implementation factors.

Each of the criteria was subdivided to form 23 sub-



groups with variable weights relative to their importance. These are provided below in Figure 9.2.

Figure 9.2 – Criteria for Prioritising Research Areas of the Three Rio Conventions

Criteria Weight Sub-criteria Description Proposed Sub-weight

Rio Conventions 30

Relevance to Rio CommitmentsThe degree of relevance of this research area to Rio commitments and its national obligations.

8

Consistency to National PoliciesThe degree of which this research area is consistent to national policies, strategies, and action plans (compared to gap analyses).

8

Capability of Rio SynergiesIs this research field capable to link between two or more of Rio thematic groups?

7

Logical ImportanceIs this research area important to initiate other research areas or fields? Is this research area considered fundamentally superior to other research?

7

Sustainability Factors

10

Sustainability benefits The degree of which this research area reduces impacts, reduces exposure, and enhances resilience or opportunities.

3

Ecosystem ImpactThe degree that this research might impose impacts on ecological systems (i.e. agriculture, biodiversity, etc).

4

Monitoring and EvaluationThe degree of which this research area is able to monitor and evaluate sustainable development.

3

Social Factors 15

EquityThe degree of which this research area is beneficial to people of various gender, age, and class.

3

Involvement of Local Com-munity

The degree of local involvement in this research area. 3

Women Empowerment Does this research area empower women in various research tasks? 3

Role of End UsersThe degree of which end users can participate or benefit from this research area.

3

Public Acceptability The degree of public support and acceptance to this research field. 3

Risk and Urgency 15

Urgency Is this research area very urgent (compare to the time frame of other na-tional projects from recent past or from present until short- and long-term futures)?

5

RiskDoes this research area overcome any potential future risks that are pres-ently minor and reversible from becoming major and irreversible?

5

UncertaintyHow well are the risks associated with the research area understood? What is the degree of uncertainties associated in the research outputs?

5

Opportunity 15

Ancillary Benefits How much will this research area contribute to overall community goals (poverty, education, gender, health, and other environmental factors)?

5

Funding sources Are there any available sources of potential funds for this research area? 5

Window of opportunity Is there currently a window of opportunity to implement this research area? 5

Implementation 15

CostDoes this measure have a relatively low estimated cost of implementation (lower cost has more weight)?

3

Cost EffectivenessIs this research area cost effective (i.e. will bring high relative benefits rela-tive to the costs)?

3

CapacityIs there a sufficient capacity (information, technical, staff, resources) to implement this research area?

3

Institutional Is the implementation of this research area within local control (i.e. low weight means it requires coordination with, or action by, other jurisdic-tions)?

3

Technology Transfer and Cooperation

Does this research area promote technology transfer and cooperation on a regional scale?

3

Score Total 100

Source: Policy-oriented National Priority Research Topics in Climate Change, Biodiversity and Combating Desertification (2013-2020) (with Guidelines, Procedures, Tools and Potential Funding Sources to Support their Implementation in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Prepared by the UNDP/GEF and the Ministry of Environment (February 2013).



An assessment of research topics was undertaken for each of the three Rio Conventions. In relation to desertification, research topics were gathered from articles and the provisions of the UNCCD, the Conference of the Parties, the Committee on Science and Technology, and the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention. The stakeholders then assessed these research topics against the agreed set of criteria. As a result, the topic ‘Water Management and its Roles in

Figure 9.3 – Prioritised Desertification Research Topics

3.1. Water management and its roles in combating desertification 88

3.2. Soil conservation measures to combat desertification 85

5.3. Drought mitigation 84

5.4. Community participation and public awareness (holistic management approach) 83

4.3. Training and capacity building roles in combating desertification 82

5.2. Livelihood and rural poverty links to desertification (holistic management approach) 81

6.1. Internal feedback mechanism (Impacts of land use change on droughts and desertification). 80

8.1. Creation of suitable databases and selection of suitable monitoring tools. 76

5.1. Indigenous knowledge and roles in combating desertification (holistic management approach) 76

7.1. Linkages among land degradation processes 75

1.1 Indicators of desertification 74

1.2 Contemporary tools for mapping desertification 73

6.2. External forcing (climate change effects on desertification) 72

4.2. Institutional mechanism for combating desertification 70

8.2. Benchmarks and indicators for implementing UNCCD and NAP 69

2.2. Use of non-equilibrium models for rangeland restoration (community-based approach) 67

3.3. Livestock management 67

7.2. Soil carbon and soil erosion 66

2.1. Use of equilibrium models for rangeland restoration 65

4.1. Assessment of the impacts of policies and economic structural programs on desertification 64

Source: Policy-oriented National Priority Research Topics in Climate Change, Biodiversity and Combating Desertification (2013-2020) (with Guidelines, Procedures, Tools and Potential Funding Sources to Support their Implementation in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Prepared by the UNDP/GEF and the MOE (February 2013).

The UNDP, GEF and MOE prioritisation exercise represents a current and up-to-date piece of work within the context of the three Rio Conventions. The prioritisation exercise was done by a broad range of stakeholders but focused on research areas rather than specific JNAP projects.

9.4 Additional Projects for Consideration in a Revised JNAPThere are a number of additional projects that should be considered for a new JNAP in addition to those proposed in 2006, which have not been fully implemented, and would therefore need to be carried forward into a revised strategy and plan (see Appendix A1-3). New projects would need to address the constraints and gaps in SLM implementation (that have been identified since the JNAP of 2006). These are discussed in Section 8 and are as follows:

1. Desertification not viewed as top funding priority;

2. Government agency overlaps in responsibility;

Combating Desertification’ was seen as the top national priority as it was related to combating desertification and to improving the livelihoods of local communities. ‘Soil Conservation Measures to Combat Desertification’ and ‘Drought Prediction and Mitigation’ were also seen as high priority research areas. The summary of research areas and their priorities are presented in Figure 9.3 below.



3. Disconnection between technical work and policy making;

4. Lack of an integrated SLM policy framework;

5. Lack of a comprehensive desertification database;

6. Insufficient public sector capacity to promote SLM;

7. Gaps and contradictions in environmental legislation;

8. Weak private sector investment into SLM;

9. Need for a strong framework for environmental controls;

10. Need for an effective system of land use planning and development control; and,

11. Regular monitoring and evaluation of areas of desertification.

Item 5 above is already part of JNAP 2006 (Projects 1.1 and 1.2 of Programme 1) but has not been implemented and is considered to be an urgent requirement in order to be able to assess progress in SLM and projects to combat desertification.

Items 9, 10 and 11 have been fully covered in Section 8.2 and would represent the basis for new projects proposed as part of this document. They are set out as proposed projects in Section 10 and as part of the Implementation Framework (see Section 10.6).

Items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are dealt with by new project proposals identified by IFS. This set out recommendations for four project ‘outcomes’ that would lead to a more effective allocation of resources and better project implementation in relation to Jordan’s obligations to UNCCD. These relate to improvements in:

1. The enabling environment for resource mobilisation;

2. The allocation of internal resources;

3. The mobilisation of external resources; and,

4. The application of innovative resources.

For each outcome, the IFS identified outputs and a recommended set of activities, with prioritisation according to ‘high’, ‘medium’ or ‘low’ depending on the perceived urgency at the time of preparation. An estimated level of financing is provided (based on 2008 estimates) and possible

implementing agencies were proposed.

These IFS projects would be additional to those identified in the JNAP 2006 and would have an implementation timeframe of five years, with high priority measures being initiated within the first year, medium priority measures within the second, and low priority measures within the third. The NCCD would be the main owner of this strategy and would ensure its implementations. The IFS projects are covered in full in Appendix 2 and set out within the Implementation Framework (Section 10.6). They are summarised below according to priority levels. High priority ‘outcomes’ are briefly described below and others are listed, as follows:

• Output 1.1: Enhanced Legal Framework for Resource Mobilisation (High Priority): This would address shortcomings in the environmental and investment legislation. It would include updating the Environmental Law for greater effectiveness; updating the Investment Promotion Law to integrate SLM principles; consolidating environmental legislation to remove inconsistencies; updating penalty systems and providing incentives for environmental investments; and, reviewing the incentives for the private sector adoption of CSR principles.

• Output 1.2: Enhanced Institutional Framework (High Priority): Public sector agencies need to develop the capacities for managing and implementing resource mobilisation for SLM. Three levels of institutional strengthening are outlined, for MOE and MOPIC (as the main drivers of the proposed IFS process), the NCCD and key line ministries and institutions. This project outcome would address capacity building for these levels.

• Output 1.3: Harmonised Policy Making and Implementation of SLM Initiatives (High Priority): There have been few linkages between Jordan’s national SLM government policies and thus little opportunity for synergies and leveraging during implementation. This would be addressed by developing an SLM umbrella programme into one package of cross-sectoral project initiatives. It would also require a cost benefit analysis of the programme to support mainstreaming of SLM and justify funding (as an urgent component).



• Output 1.4: Decision Makers Enhanced Awareness of the Importance of SLM (High Priority): The GOJ has launched major reforms, but these have not been properly linked to SLM. It is important that decision makers understand these linkages and how SLM is important for local development, poverty alleviation and sustainability. As a result, they would be more likely to increase budgets for SLM activities. This project would provide multi-media materials and undertake activities to raise environmental awareness and to help mainstreaming of SLM.

• Output 3.2: Enhanced Government Effectiveness in Donor Coordination (High Priority): MOPIC needs capacity building in order to improve resource mobilisation and partnerships (such as through the GDCWG). This project would review and improve GDCWG procedures and communication, and would also support the NCCD’s efforts to allocate external sources of funding.

• Output 4.2: Use of Debt Swaps to Co-finance SLM Activities (High Priority): Debt swaps have been an effectively used source of funding in Jordan and could be increasingly adopted to provide support for SLM initiatives. This output would seek to identify SLM projects that could benefit from the potential of debt swaps.

• Output 4.3: Use of Financing Opportunities from Climate Change Mechanisms (High Priority): This project would seek to fulfill the opportunities for SLM funding from those climate change mechanisms that would be appropriate for Jordan, namely from the Special Climate Change Fund, the Adaptation Fund, and the Clean Development Mechanism. This would be done with a review of procedures, awareness raising, and technical training specifically related to these funds.

• Output 4.4: Use of the Environment Compensation Fund (High Priority): The ECF is focused on rehabilitating rangeland areas and is a major potential source of financing for SLM activities. Activities for this output would include a review of ECF’s procedures, identifying opportunities for eligible SLM activities and the submission of funding applications.

• Output 4.5: Use of the Jordan Environment Fund (High Priority): The recently established JEF will

form a significant contribution to environmental and SLM projects. Activities for this output would include establishing links with JEF and making submissions for SLM projects.

• Output 2.1: Stakeholders’ Enhanced Capacity in Budget Preparation and Implementation (Medium Priority).

• Output 2.2: Local Authorities’ Enhanced Capacity in Raising Funds for SLM (Medium Priority).

• Output 2.3: Increased Use of Local and International Private Funds in SLM (Medium Priority).

• Output 3.1: Local Stakeholders’ Enhanced Knowledge of External Funding Sources (Medium Priority).

• Output 4.1: Use of Revolving Funds to Support SLM Activities (Low Priority).

Conclusions and Recommendations: The IFS prioritisation of SLM and desertification projects was based on those identified by JNAP in 2006. The prioritisation exercise was undertaken by the consultant team, MOPIC and MOE, which ranked four high priority projects. This project prioritisation was important in that it was prepared under the guidance and supervision of MOPIC, MOE and GM in close consultation with NCCD. The UNDP, GEF and MOE prioritisation exercise, on the other hand, was more up-to-date and set within the context of the three Rio Conventions. This exercise also involved a broad range of stakeholders but focused on research areas rather than specific JNAP projects. The preparation of the revised JNAP will need to take both of these prioritisation exercises into consideration and to assess their merits in light of specific projects that have been identified (as proposed in 2006 and which still need to be implemented), as well as new projects including those highlighted above in Section 9.4.

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10. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

10.1 Revision to JNAPA new JNAP would be the principal implementation mechanism for fulfilling Jordan’s continuing obligations to the UNCCD. Given that work on revising the plan is expected to start early next year, it is assumed that the JNAP will set out SLM and desertification projects that need to be implemented during the ten-year period from 2015-2024. Section 10.6 outlines some possible projects, set within the Implementation Framework, for consideration by the plan preparation team.

10.2 NCCD the Key Implementing Agency NCCD, and the key stakeholders, would have the responsibility for JNAP preparation. The stakeholders should be drawn from those described in Section 6 with a mix of government ministries, semi-government agencies/research institutes, NGOs and also, preferably, with some private sector involvement. Government ministry representation should include the MOE, MOPIC, MOA, MWI, and MOMA. It is suggested that there could be 12 stakeholders involved in the preparation of the JNAP, under the supervision of the NCCD, with six government ministries, and two each from the other groups (including the private sector). Donor agencies would have to be closely consulted during the process, perhaps via MOPIC and the GDCWG meetings.

The NCCD is mandated to coordinate desertification and SLM issues in Jordan in order to be able to fulfill the country’s obligations to the UNCCD. The indications are that it has not been able to undertake this role effectively, partly because representation is paid solely based on occasional meeting attendance. This raises the issue of the need for the NCCD to be a properly funded organisation, which would include some full-time staff and an office base. If this does not happen, then there is a real danger that the new JNAP will become ineffective and unimplemented during the next ten years.

The key tasks for NCCD during the preparation of projects for the new JNAP are likely to be:

• Deciding on the projects and programmes for inclusion from those identified in the Implementation Framework;

• Reviewing the prioritisation of the selected projects/programmes within the context of work already done and described in Section 9;

• Revisiting costs estimates, objectives, outline activities, expected outputs, project duration and implementing agencies, and amending them accordingly;

• Holding discussions with donor agencies, private sector organisations and sources of innovative funding (including those referred to in Section 7) on the possibilities for financing the selected projects;

• Revising the proposed project content, the priorities and setting them out within an overall ten-year JNAP work programme following discussions with stakeholders, donor agencies, and the private sector;

• Preparing detailed TORs for priority projects, which have been selected for implementation in the first two years, in conjunction with interested funding parties; and,

• Overseeing project implementation following agreement with funding agencies.

10.3 Coordination Framework for UNCCD, UNFCCC, and CBD ProjectsA framework for coordinating Jordan’s obligations to the UNCCD, and its efforts to implement SLM and desertification projects,

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needs to be established in tandem with those activities undertaken for CBD and UNFCCC. This is discussed in Section 8.1 under ‘Lack of Integrated SLM Policy Network’ and looks at the possibilities for a national environmental forum, which could coordinate Jordan’s obligations to all three Rio Conventions. This forum or indeed the unification of the three national committees, logically within or under the guise of the MOE, would provide a clearer mechanism for coordination work and the identification of national priority areas for SLM. However, proper funding for the long-term operation of this forum would clearly have to be provided.

10.4 Need for Regular Plan ReviewIt is essential that the new JNAP, when prepared, be subject to a system of continuous review in order to maintain its relevance. This should be done on an annual basis and updated accordingly. These reviews need to update the status of specific project implementation and their effectiveness. This would have to include an updated assessment of SLM and desertification conditions in Jordan in order to accurately understand this (see Section 10.5 below). In order to accommodate any significant changes, the JNAP should also be re-issued every five years with a continuing ten-year plan horizon. The revision of the plan should incorporate changes to the overall strategy.

Not only would the impact of JNAP projects being implemented have to be assessed but also the need for future projects, and whether previously programmed projects should be amended or indeed dropped. This will also have a bearing on the review of the overall strategy and whether amendments are needed to this. Similarly, annual reviews would need to assess changes in funding allocations and preferred themes, as well as to review project compatibility with the UNCCD’s ten-year strategies. This JNAP review process would be the prime responsibility of NCCD.

10.5 Monitoring IndicatorsThe evaluation of project implementation on combating desertification can only be properly undertaken with a comprehensive information database, and an established

baseline of information. This has been discussed in this document (see Sections 5.6 and 8.1) and is also covered in project proposals outlined in the Implementation Framework (see Section 10.6). The mapping and monitoring of the desertification process is an important obligation to the UNCCD and needs to be fulfilled with immediate actions in Jordan, hence the proposed high priority categorisation of this project in the Implementation Framework. Without comprehensive mapping of the desertification process, the determination of project activities and the evaluation of programmes would be impossible to assess. Furthermore, the synergy between the three Rio Conventions is becoming increasingly important and hence the need for coordination is essential in order to identify the effects (from desertification, climate change, and impacts on biodiversity) on SLM and the land degradation process.

Potential Monitoring Indicators: Section 2.2 covers the process, causes and indicators associated with desertification. According to FAO (1984), the natural or induced processes leading to desertification are estimated to be:

1. Degradation of the vegetative cover;

2. Water erosion;

3. Wind erosion;

4. Increased salinity;

5. Reduction in soil organic matter;

6. Soil crusting and compaction; and,

7. Accumulation of substances toxic to plants or animals.

The first four are considered to be major determinative processes and the last three are seen to be subordinate. The determinative processes are so defined because their effects are more widespread and they have a major impact on land productivity. The main indicators for monitoring and assessing desertification, grouped according to processes, are summarised in Figure 10.1 below as proposed by FAO/UNEP (1984). Several studies in Jordan have also identified further factors as being valid for monitoring and assessing desertification conditions. These are either additional indicators

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or represent the detailing of elements identified by FAO/UNEP and are:

1. Substantial reduction in plant cover and productivity;

2. Alteration of target and indigenous plant species;

3. Reduction of forested areas;

4. Accumulation of calcareous silt at the surface of the soils;

5. Changes in rainfall patterns and distribution;

6. Soil salinity and groundwater;

7. Soil compaction and crusting;

8. Changes in seed bank structure and richness;

9. Alteration of soil spectral reflectance (remotely sensed indicator); and,

10. Reduction in soil organic matter and degradation of soil microbiology.

The selection of indicators for monitoring and evaluation will depend on the availability of comprehensive baseline data and the sensitivity of a particular indicator to change. Improvements in vegetation conditions and productivity would be reflected in vegetation indicators. Soil indicators, however, would need a detailed soil database.

Studies and surveys in Jordan that looked at monitoring vegetation productivity from remote sensing data have shown that low-resolution data is unlikely to provide an accurate assessment of vegetation cover and productivity, particularly in rangeland areas. The use of high-resolution data of SPOT imagery has been assessed by Al Bakri and Abu Zanat (2005), to monitor vegetation productivity in protected grazing reserves in a low rainfall zone. Results showed a high correlation between the cover of vegetation, biomass, and the Normalized Differentiation Vegetation Index (graphical indicator to assess remote sensing measurements). The study recommended the use of this technology for monitoring vegetation cover and productivity. Whilst these studies demonstrated how important the role of remote sensing technology was for monitoring SLM and hence in monitoring desertification, more research is required to identify and select remotely sensed indices, image processing algorithms, and GIS models relevant to desertification assessment and monitoring in Jordan. The Centre for Earth Observation Desertification Information Network (https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/home), which has been established by the EU, focuses on Africa and the Mediterranean area. It provides useful information on satellite imagery and remote sensing techniques.

Figure 10.1 – Potential Indicators of Desertification Process

Desertification Process Assessment Factor (Indicator)

Reduction of Vegetation• Canopy cover of perennial plants (%);• Area and condition (%) of desirable vegetation; and,• Vegetation productivity.

Water and Wind Erosion

• Type of erosion;• Subsoil exposed and area (%);• Soil thickness (cm);• Increase in eroded area (% per year);• Sediment deposition in reservoirs;• Annual loss of storage (%);• Wind erosion groups (texture of soil);• Mean annual wind speed at 2m height (m/per second); and,• Rate of potential sand movement.

Soil Salinity

• Morphological indicators;• Soil EC and ESP;• Crop yields (% of potential productivity); and,• Surface area adversely affected (% of delineated area).

Source: FAO and UNEP indicators (1984)

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NCCD would need to establish a proper information database for desertification (see the Implementation Framework in Section 10.6) in order to identify the appropriate indicators to be adopted for undertaking the monitoring and evaluation process throughout the duration of the JNAP (2015-2024).

10.6 Implementation FrameworkThe proposed projects are set out for review within the Implementation Framework below according to three sub-areas, as follows:

• Sub-section 1 - JNAP 2006 projects, which are also described in full in Appendix 1, that have not been fully implemented or not carried out at all;

• Sub-section 2 – Additional projects proposed by IFS in December 2008 that address certain gaps in implementation constraints, as described in Section 8.1 of this IIF document. The IFS projects are set out in full in Appendix 2; and,

• Sub-section 3 – These are additional projects proposed by this IIF document that seek to address issues outlined in Section 8.2.

All of the projects have been prioritised (and colour-coded accordingly) into high priority (yellow), medium (light brown) and low (blue). The Implementation Framework sets out the project name, the programme within which it is set (where relevant), objectives, key activities, the principal expected outputs, a broad project duration, the key implementing agencies, estimated budgets, and some additional comments on implementation.

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and,

traini

ng an

d cap

acity

build

ing

for r

ange

land m

anag

emen

t

Prot

ect r

ange

land r

esou

rces a

ndint

rodu

ce ec

otou

rism

as an

alt

erna

tive i

ncom

e sou

rce fo

r ru

ral c

omm

uniti

es

Ecot

ouris

m: id

entif

y suit

able

sites

; es

tabli

sh ne

cessa

ry fa

ciliti

es an

d inf

rastr

uctu

re; p

rovid

e awa

rene

ss an

d tra

ining

prog

ram

mes

for l

ocal

com

mun

ities

2Ho

use R

oof W

ater

Ha

rves

ting

Prog

ram

me 5

:W

ater

shed

M

anag

emen

tHi

ghPr

omot

e roo

f coll

ectin

g sys

tem

s to

colle

ct ra

infall

wat

er fo

r use

in

gard

ening

and l

ands

capin

g

Esta

blish

a fu

nd fo

r hou

se ro

of

wate

r har

vesti

ng

Publi

c pa

rticip

ation

and

awar

enes

s in a

rid

area

s2 y

ears

NGOs

and N

CARE

US$

1,000

.000 a

s a r

evolv

ing

fund

Proje

ct 5.3

of

JNAP

2006

partl

y im

plem

ente

d th

roug

h MOA

and

MWI

Traini

ng on

cons

tructi

on of

low

cost

roof

wat

er co

llecti

on sy

stem

an

d gar

den i

rriga

tion

Redu

ction

of w

ater

bil

ls

IMPLEM

ENTATION PLAN


#Pr

ojec

tPr

ogra

mm

ePr

iorit

yOb

ject

ives

Activ

ities

Expe

cted

Outp

uts

Dura

tion

Impl

emen

ting

Agen

cies

Estim

ated

Budg

et (1

)Co

mm

ents

3

Esta

blish

ing a

Natio

nal F

und

to Co

mba

t De

serti

ficat

ion

Prog

ram

me 3

:Ca

pacit

y Buil

ding

and

Insti

tutio

nal

Deve

lopm

ent

High

Prov

ide m

echa

nism

for s

mall

gr

ants

to co

mm

uniti

es ca

n be

mad

e bas

ed on

their

prior

ity

need

s and

conc

erns

.

Intro

ducti

on an

d con

sens

us

build

ing,

Natio

nal T

rust

Fund

on

Des

ertifi

catio

n es

tabli

shed

with

cle

ar le

gal s

tatu

s

2 yea

rsM

OE an

d HFD

JB in

co

oper

ation

with

GEF

US$

2,000

,000

Proje

ct 3.2

of

JNAP

2006

not

imple

men

ted

Prop

osal

deve

lopm

ent b

y tas

k fo

rce,

Prov

ide fu

nds t

hat c

ould

lead t

o m

obilis

ation

of ot

her fi

nanc

ial

reso

urce

s whe

ther

dom

estic

or

inter

natio

nal.

Esta

blish

the N

FCD

at th

e MOE

(o

btain

officia

l app

rova

l)

Cont

ribut

e to t

hem

obilis

ation

of fin

ancia

l reso

urce

sfro

m di

ffere

nt so

urce

sto

com

bat d

eser

tifica

tion.

Oper

ation

of N

FCD

(disb

urse

men

t of

small

gran

ts to

com

mun

ities

, int

ensifi

catio

n of r

esou

rce

mob

ilisat

ion eff

orts,

prog

ress

revie

w to

mak

e adju

stmen

ts as

ne

eded

.

4Re

habil

itatio

n and

De

velop

men

t of

Fore

st En

viron

men

t

Prog

ram

me 4

: Re

stora

tion o

f De

grad

edEc

osys

tem

s of

Rang

eland

s and

Fo

rests

High

Enco

urag

e pro

tecti

on of

fore

sts

thro

ugh l

ocal

parti

cipat

ion

and d

evelo

pmen

t of lo

cal

man

agem

ent p

lans u

nder

the

supe

rvisi

on of

MOA

Fore

st M

anag

emen

t: ide

ntify

fo

rest

area

s, re

levan

t sta

keho

lders

and d

iffer

ent f

ores

t gro

ups;

de

velop

loca

l man

agem

ent

plans

takin

g int

o con

sider

ation

co

nser

vatio

n and

susta

inable

use

of lo

cal s

pecie

s, so

cio-e

cono

mic

feasib

ility.

Best

prac

tice f

ores

t m

anag

emen

t sch

emes

3 yea

rsM

OA, M

OE an

d loc

alco

mm

uniti

esUS

$1,5

00,00

0

Proje

ct 4.2

of

JNAP

2006

im

plem

ente

d wi

th co

nstra

ints

thro

ugh B

adia

Rese

arch

Pr

ogra

mm

e th

roug

h ECF

Mon

itorin

g: ob

serv

ation

of da

ily

patte

rns o

ver s

easo

nal g

radie

nt of

th

e mos

t rele

vant

ecop

hysio

logica

l pa

ram

eter

s

Mon

itor t

he im

pacts

of dr

ough

t an

d lan

d use

on fo

rest

reso

urce

s

Guide

lines

on

esta

blish

men

t of

effec

tive

mec

hanis

m to

m

onito

r for

est

reso

urce

s

Prom

ote e

coto

urism

info

rests

and n

ear u

rban

area

s

Ecot

ouris

m: id

entifi

catio

n of

suita

ble si

tes f

or ec

otou

rism

pu

rpos

es; e

stabli

shm

ent

of ne

cessa

ry fa

ciliti

es an

d inf

rastr

uctu

re; p

rovid

e awa

rene

ss an

d tra

ining

prog

ram

s for

loca

l co

mm

uniti

es

IMPLEM

ENTATION PLAN


5

Natio

nal

Traini

ng

Prog

ram

mes

on

Dese

rtific

ation

M

onito

ring a

nd

Cont

rol

Prog

ram

me 3

: Ca

pacit

y Buil

ding

and

Insti

tutio

nal

Deve

lopm

ent

High

Build

up in

stitu

tiona

l cap

acity

fo

r acti

vities

to co

mba

t de

serti

ficat

ion

Evalu

ate t

he te

chnic

al ba

ckgr

ound

and c

apab

ilities

of

the d

eser

tifica

tion c

ontro

l unit

in

MOE

.W

ell-e

stabli

shed

unit

to co

ordin

ate t

raini

ng

supe

rvise

d by a

natio

nal

unive

rsity.

4 yea

rs

MOE

and M

OA in

co

oper

ation

with

th

e Univ

ersit

y of

Jord

an

and t

he H

ashe

mite

Un

iversi

ty

US$2

00,00

0

Proje

ct 3.2

of JN

AP

2006

not

imple

men

ted

Cond

uct a

serie

s of w

orks

hops

an

d tec

hnica

l mee

tings

to de

fine

man

date

s for

the g

over

nmen

tal

agen

cies w

orkin

g in t

he fie

ld an

d pro

duce

a str

ateg

ic pla

n tha

t pla

ces t

he de

serti

ficat

ion un

it as

th

e key

refer

ence

for t

hese

issu

esDe

serti

ficat

ion co

ntro

l at

the M

OE (p

art o

f Pr

ogra

mm

es 1

and 2

).De

fine t

he tr

aining

need

s and

the

requ

ired t

echn

ical e

quipm

ents

6

Inte

grat

ed

Socio

-Eco

nom

ic De

velop

men

t of

Com

mun

ities

in

the A

rid La

nds

of Jo

rdan

Prog

ram

me 6

:Hu

man

, Soc

ial an

dEc

onom

ic De

velop

men

t Pr

ogra

m

High

Impr

ove a

rid la

nd us

e pra

ctice

s an

d res

ource

man

agem

ent

tech

nique

s

Asse

ss th

e com

mun

ity ne

eds

Inco

me i

mpr

ovem

ent p

er

capit

a5 t

o 7

year

sM

OSD,

MOM

A an

d NGO

sUS

$5,0

00,00

0

Proje

ct 6.2

of

JNAP

2006

partl

y im

plem

ente

d by

MOS

D

Outre

ach a

nd tr

aining

Impr

oved

logic

al co

nditi

ons i

n tar

get a

reas

Mon

itor s

electe

d ind

icato

rs

8

Docu

men

tatio

n of

Trad

ition

al Kn

owled

ge on

So

il and

Wat

er

Cons

erva

tion

Prog

ram

me 5

:W

ater

shed

M

anag

emen

tM

edium

Defin

e cha

racte

ristic

s of

tradit

ional

know

ledge

for

hydr

ologic

al as

pects

and c

ompil

e inv

ento

ry

Cond

uct l

itera

ture

and fi

eld

surv

eys t

o det

erm

ine ty

pe of

soil

and w

ater

cons

erva

tion

Use o

f tra

dition

al kn

owled

ge fo

r soil

and

wate

r con

serv

ation

and

susta

inable

agric

ultur

e3 y

ears

Loca

l farm

ers,

MOA

, BR

DC an

d HFD

JBUS

$20

0,000

Proje

ct 5.1

of JN

AP

2006

imple

men

ted

thro

ugh N

GOs a

nd

rese

arch

cent

res

Docu

men

t eng

ineer

ing as

pects

of

soil a

nd w

ater

cons

erva

tion

Docu

men

t tra

dition

al pr

actic

es an

d ada

pt tr

aditi

onal

know

ledge

to

mod

ern t

echn

ology

Disse

mina

tion o

f coll

ecte

d inf

orm

ation

to be

adap

ted

to ex

isting

socia

l and

ph

ysica

l con

dition

s

Iden

tify s

ucce

ssful

tech

nique

s co

mpa

tible

with

mod

ern

tech

nolog

y

9Pu

blic

Awar

enes

s

Prog

ram

me 1

:De

serti

ficat

ion

Info

rmat

ionSy

stem

(DIS)

Raise

awar

enes

s at a

ll lev

els of

or

ganis

ation

s and

insti

tutio

ns

involv

ed in

com

batin

g de

serti

ficat

ion

Iden

tify t

arge

t gro

ups a

nd th

eir

roles

in co

mba

ting d

eser

tifica

tion

Incre

ased

publi

c aw

aren

ess t

owar

ds

dese

rtific

ation

4 yea

rsM

OE, M

OA, M

WI,

JOHU

D, BR

DC an

d JS

DCBD

US$

400,0

00

Proje

ct 1.3

of

JNAP

2006

partl

y un

derta

ken t

hrou

gh

differ

ent s

chem

es

and a

ctivit

ies

Raise

publi

c awa

rene

ss to

ward

s su

staina

ble la

nd us

e

Orga

nise e

duca

tiona

l acti

vities

th

roug

hout

the c

ount

ryCo

ordin

ate e

fforts

in

unde

rstan

ding c

ause

s and

im

pacts

of de

serti

ficat

ionPr

oduc

tion o

f awa

rene

ss to

ol kit

IMPLEM

ENTATION PLAN


10

Dese

rtific

ation

Le

gal

Fram

ewor

k for

M

onito

ring a

nd

Deve

lopm

ent

Prog

ram

me 3

:Ca

pacit

y Bu

ilding

and

Insti

tutio

nal

Deve

lopm

ent

Med

ium

Deve

lop an

d upd

ate e

xistin

g law

s re

lated

to de

serti

ficat

ion.

Revie

w ex

isting

laws

relat

ed to

de

serti

ficat

ion.

A leg

al fra

mew

ork f

or

dese

rtific

ation

mon

itorin

g

Revie

w of

leg

islat

ion:

1yea

r.

MOE

, MOA

, Mini

stry

of Ju

stice

, MW

I, M

unici

palit

y of

Amm

an an

d NGO

s.

US$

200.0

00

Proje

ct 3.3

of

JNAP

2006

not

imple

men

ted.

See

Proje

ct 1.1

/1

.2 in

Appe

ndix

A2

and P

rojec

t 3 in

Ap

pend

ix A3

Form

ulate

laws

relat

edto

dese

rtific

ation

mon

itorin

g and

cont

rol.

Form

ulatio

n of a

new

law re

lated

to

dese

rtific

ation

.

Stre

ngth

ening

m

anda

tes o

f MOE

an

d oth

er ag

encie

s to

com

bat a

nd m

onito

r de

serti

ficat

ion

11

Use o

f Re

claim

ed

Wat

er fo

r Gr

eenb

elt Ar

eas

arou

nd Vi

llage

s an

d alon

g Ro

ads i

n Arid

Ar

eas o

f Jor

dan

Prog

ram

me 5

:W

ater

shed

M

anag

emen

tM

edium

Redu

ce ha

zard

s of g

roun

dwat

er

pollu

tion f

rom

cessp

ool a

nd se

ptic

tank

s

Esta

blish

a sm

all lo

w co

st wa

stewa

ter t

reat

men

t plan

tTre

atm

ent p

lant w

ith

reus

e com

pone

nt4 y

ears

MWI, B

RDC

and l

ocal

com

m-

uniti

es

US$

200.0

00

Proje

ct 5.5

of

JNAP

2006

partl

y im

plem

ente

d th

roug

h MOA

and

MWI

Incre

ase g

reen

area

san

d red

uce w

ind er

osion

Selec

t reu

se si

te an

d equ

ip wi

th

irriga

tion s

yste

m

Plant

indig

enou

s woo

dy pl

ants

that

ar

e ada

ptab

le to

the a

rea

Disse

mina

tion o

f loca

l ex

perie

nce t

o oth

er

com

mun

ities

12As

sessm

ent o

f Dr

ough

tIm

pacts

Prog

ram

me 2

: Dr

ough

t Pr

edict

ion an

dDe

serti

ficat

ion

Cont

rol

Med

ium

Iden

tify d

roug

ht se

verit

y an

d ext

ent o

n ann

ual/s

easo

nal

basis

Esta

blish

this

unde

r the

guise

of

a nat

ional

unive

rsity

Annu

al an

d sea

sona

l inf

orm

ation

on

geog

raph

ic dis

tribu

tion a

nd

drou

ght

Cons

tructi

on

and t

raini

ng: 3

ye

ars

MOE

, MOA

, MW

I, BR

DC, J

SDCB

D, U

N/W

FP an

d oth

er N

GOs

US$1

,000.0

00

Proje

ct 2.2

of

JNAP

2006

not

imple

men

ted.

Prov

ision

of ne

cessa

ry eq

uipm

ent

and f

acilit

iesId

entif

y affe

cted c

omm

uniti

es an

d po

tent

ial ec

onom

ic im

pacts

Oper

ation

: co

ntinu

ous

Estim

ation

of

econ

omic

impa

ctsHi

ring q

ualifi

ed pe

rsonn

el an

d re

sear

cher

sPr

ovide

tech

nical

and s

cient

ific

advis

e to d

ecisi

on m

aker

s

IMPLEM

ENTATION PLAN


13De

serti

ficat

ion

Map

ping

Prog

ram

me 1

: De

serti

ficat

ion

Info

rmat

ionSy

stem

(DIS)

Med

ium

Map

dese

rtific

ation

stat

us, r

ate,

risk a

nd ha

zard

s in J

orda

nCo

nduc

t a co

mpr

ehen

sive s

urve

y to

scope

avail

able

data

and i

ts qu

ality

Iden

tifica

tion o

f de

serti

ficat

ion pr

one

area

s

MOE

, HCS

T and

Un

iversi

ty of

Jo

rdan

MOE

, HCS

T and

Un

iversi

ty of

Jord

anUS

$1,0

00,00

0

Proje

ct 1.2

of

JNAP

2006

not

imple

men

ted.

Iden

tify f

utur

e tre

nds a

nd ex

tent

of

dese

rtific

ation

Com

pletio

n of m

issing

map

s and

up

datin

gPr

oduc

tion o

f th

emat

ic m

aps

Iden

tify r

oot c

ause

s of

dese

rtific

ation

and n

eces

sary

m

easu

res t

o com

bat l

and

degr

adat

ion

Prod

uctio

n of t

hem

atic

map

sPr

oduc

tion o

fm

aps f

or ar

eas

requ

iring

urge

nt

actio

n for

re

habil

itatio

n and

re

stora

tion

Prod

uctio

n of

map

s for

area

s req

uiring

urge

nt

actio

n for

reha

bilita

tion a

nd

resto

ratio

n

14

Mod

ules f

or

Com

preh

ensiv

eTra

ining

for

Com

mun

ities

Prog

ram

me 6

: Hu

man

, Soc

ial

and

Econ

omic

Deve

lopm

ent

Prog

ram

Low

Raise

awar

enes

s of

local

com

mun

ities

for S

LMTra

ining

need

s asse

ssmen

tEn

hanc

ed pr

oduc

tivity

5 yea

rsNG

Os, M

OA, B

RDC

and N

CARE

US$

1,000

,000

Proje

ct 6.1

of

JNAP

2006

partl

y im

plem

ente

d by

MOS

DIm

prov

e live

lihoo

ds of

loca

l co

mm

uniti

es

Cond

uct t

raini

ng to

link

deve

lopm

ent a

ctivit

ies in

the

vicini

ty

Impr

oved

hous

ehold

inc

ome

Impr

oved

inte

racti

on

with

loca

l eco

logica

lre

sour

ce

IMPLEM

ENTATION PLAN


15

Cent

er fo

r Dr

ough

tM

onito

ring

and P

redic

tion

(CDM

P)

Prog

ram

me 2

:Dr

ough

t Pre

-dic

tion a

ndDe

serti

ficat

ion

Cont

rol

Low

Esta

blish

ing ce

nter

for d

roug

ht

pred

iction

and e

arly

warn

ing th

at

form

s par

t of r

egion

al an

d glob

al ne

twor

ks

Esta

blish

the d

roug

ht m

onito

ring

cent

re w

ith th

e req

uired

facil

ities

an

d per

sonn

el

A spe

cialis

ed sc

ientifi

c ce

ntre

on dr

ough

t pr

edict

ion an

d m

onito

ring

Cons

tructi

on an

d tra

ining

: 5 ye

ars

MWI, M

OA, J

orda

n M

eteo

rolog

ical D

e-pa

rtmen

t, Un

iversi

ty

of Jo

rdan

and B

RDC

US$4

,000,0

00Pr

oject

2.2 of

JN

AP 20

06 no

t im

plem

ente

d.

Analy

sis of

clim

ate d

ata t

o ide

ntify

pr

obab

ility o

f dro

ught

and r

etur

n pe

riods

Adop

t and

test

rem

otely

sens

ed

tech

nique

s rela

ted t

o dro

ught

m

onito

ring i

n Jor

dan a

nd re

gion

Capa

city b

uildin

g of

the r

elate

d nat

ional

agen

cies

Exch

ange

data

and i

nfor

mat

ion

betw

een d

roug

ht m

onito

ring

cent

res

Iden

tifica

tion o

f are

as w

ith hi

gh

drou

ght p

roba

biliti

es

Selec

tion o

f rem

otely

sens

ed

indice

s for

drou

ght m

onito

ring

Oper

ation

: co

ntinu

ous

Iden

tify h

ighly

affec

ted a

reas

on

annu

al an

d sea

sona

l bas

is an

d in

real

time w

ithin

seas

on

Traini

ng of

staff

in re

mot

e sen

sing

and h

igh te

mpo

ral re

solut

ion da

taan

d the

ir use

in dr

ough

t mon

itorin

g

Adop

tion o

f rea

l-tim

e mon

itorin

g for

dr

ough

t pre

dictio

n

Iden

tifica

tion o

f ar

eas s

ever

ely

affec

ted b

y dr

ough

ts

Imple

men

tatio

n and

testi

ng of

m

etho

dolog

y

16

Natio

nal R

ainfal

l W

ater

Har

vest-

ing Pr

oject

for

Agric

ultur

e Fa

rming

Prog

ram

me 5

: W

ater

shed

M

anag

emen

tLo

w

Prom

ote r

ainfal

l wat

er co

llecti

ng

syste

ms a

nd us

e as s

upple

-m

enta

ry irr

igatio

n for

fruit

and

vege

table

farm

ing

Esta

blish

a su

bsidi

sed f

und f

or

farm

ers t

o con

struc

t rain

fall-c

ol-lec

ting s

yste

m fo

r agr

icultu

re us

es

Redu

cing p

ressu

re on

lim

ited g

roun

dwat

er

basin

s5 y

ears

MOA

, MOW

I, Jor

da-

nian F

arm

ers U

nion,

Ag

ricult

ure L

oan

Bank

and B

RDC

US$5

,000,0

00 (p

ar-tia

lly re

volvi

ng)

Proje

ct 5.3

of

JNAP

2006

partl

y im

plem

ente

d th

roug

h MOA

and

MWI

17Ar

tificia

l Re

char

ge of

Grou

ndwa

ter

Prog

ram

me 5

: W

ater

shed

M

anag

emen

tLo

w

Incre

ase v

olum

e of w

ater

re

char

ge to

aquif

ers

Esta

blish

a pil

ot pr

oject

in a

selec

ted d

eser

t wad

i clos

e to t

he

pote

ntial

rech

arge

area

. The

catch

-m

ent a

rea o

f 15-

20 km

² will

be

used

for t

estin

g and

evalu

ation

of

artifi

cial re

char

ge

Impr

oved

wat

er

quali

ty, en

hanc

ed

safe

yield

and g

reat

er

vege

tatio

n cov

er

5 yea

rs

MOA

, MOW

I, Jor

da-

nian F

arm

ers U

nion,

Ag

ricult

ure L

oan

Bank

and B

RDC

US$1

milli

on

Proje

ct 5.2

of

JNAP

2006

partl

y im

plem

ente

d th

roug

h MOA

and

MWI

Impr

ove w

ater

quali

ty an

d inc

reas

e safe

yield

Iden

tify b

enefi

cial u

se of

flood

wa

ter f

or be

nefic

ial pu

rpos

es

(1) B

udge

t est

imat

es b

ased

on

IFS

2008

figu

res

IMPLEM

ENTATION PLAN


2 –

Impl

emen

tati

on F

ram

ewor

k (2

015-

2024

): IF

S Pr

opos

ed P

roje

cts

#Pr

ojec

tPr

ogra

mm

ePr

iorit

yOb

ject

ives

Activ

ities

Expe

cted

Outp

uts

Dura

tion

Impl

emen

ting

Agen

cies

Estim

ated

Budg

et (1

)Co

mm

ents

1.1

Enha

nced

Le

ga l

Fram

ewor

k fo

r Res

ource

M

obilis

ation

Outco

me 1

:En

hanc

ed

Enab

ling

Envir

onm

ent

for R

esou

rce

Mob

ilisat

ion

High

Impr

ove E

nviro

nmen

t La

w 20

06

Upda

te En

viron

men

t Law

to in

clude

pollu

ter-p

ays

princ

iples

, eco

nom

ic inc

entiv

es, a

nd pe

nalty

and

fining

regu

lation

sIm

prov

ed an

d int

e-gr

ated

Envir

onm

ent

Law

and I

nves

tmen

t Pr

omot

ion La

w

2 – 5

year

s

MOE

, MOF

, Mini

stry

of Ju

stice

, Mini

stry

of Ec

onom

y, M

OA,

MWI, M

OTA,

High

er

Coun

cil fo

r the

En

cour

agem

ent

of In

vestm

ent a

nd

NGOs

US$3

00,00

0

Proje

ct ne

eds t

o be

coor

dinat

ed

by N

CCD

and t

o be

inte

grat

ed

with

clim

ate

chan

ge an

d bio

diver

sity

initia

tives

.

Impr

ove I

nves

tmen

t Pro

mot

ion

Law

Upda

te In

vestm

ent P

rom

otion

Law

to in

tegr

ate

SLM

princ

iples

Stre

ngth

en in

vestm

ent i

ncen

-tiv

es, e

nfor

cem

ent o

f laws

, and

pe

nalti

es

Cons

olida

te en

viron

men

tal le

gislat

ion to

rem

ove

incon

siste

ncies

and t

o pro

vide i

ncen

tives

for

envir

onm

enta

l inve

stmen

ts. In

corp

orat

e opt

ions

for p

rivat

e sec

tor C

SR pr

incipl

es

1.2

Enha

nce

Insti

tutio

nal

Fram

ewor

k

Outco

me 1

:En

hanc

ed

Enab

ling

Envir

onm

ent

for R

esou

rce

Mob

ilisat

ion

High

Insti

tutio

nal s

treng

then

ing of

M

OE, M

OPIC,

NCC

D an

d oth

er lin

e m

inistr

ies

Capa

city b

uildin

g of t

he re

levan

t mini

stries

, and

of

NCC

D, an

d add

ressi

ng sp

ecifi

c ins

titut

ional

oper

ation

issu

es.

Impr

oved

proje

ct im

plem

enta

tion a

nd

effec

tiven

ess

1 yea

rNC

CDUS

$600

.000

1.3

Harm

onise

dPo

licy

Mak

ing an

dple

men

tatio

n of

SLM

Initi

a-tiv

es

Outco

me 1

:En

hanc

ed

Enab

ling

Envir

onm

ent

for R

esou

rce

Mob

ilisat

ion

High

Prov

ide op

portu

nities

for

strea

mlin

ing po

licies

, rem

oving

inc

onsis

tenc

ies an

d int

egra

ting

SLM

into

mor

e sec

tors,

such

as

pove

rty al

leviat

ion

Deve

lop an

d SLM

umbr

ella p

rogr

amm

e tha

t int

egra

tes p

rojec

t init

iative

s fro

m di

ffere

nt se

ctor.

Will

need

to co

ordin

ate w

ith cl

imat

e cha

nge a

nd

biodiv

ersit

y pro

gram

mes

Impr

oved

proje

ct co

-or

dinat

ion, e

spec

ially

with

the c

limat

e ch

ange

and b

iodive

r-sit

y pro

gram

mes

1 yea

rNC

CD w

ith G

M

and I

FAD

US$4

50,00

0

Unde

rtake

a co

st be

nefit

analy

sis of

the p

ro-

gram

me a

s an u

rgen

t com

pone

ntPr

ovide

oppo

rtunit

ies to

prom

ote

SLM

as pa

rt of

one p

acka

ge of

ini

tiativ

es im

plem

ente

d. Un

derta

ke a

cost

bene

fit an

alysis

of th

e pro

-gr

amm

e as a

n urg

ent c

ompo

nent

Enab

le eff

ectiv

e mon

itorin

g and

ev

aluat

ion of

prog

ram

me i

mpa

cts

on SL

M

1.4

Decis

ion M

ak-

ers E

nhan

ced

Awar

enes

s of

the I

mpo

r-ta

nce o

f SLM

Outco

me 1

:En

hanc

ed

Enab

ling

Envir

onm

ent

for R

esou

rce

Mob

ilisat

ion

High

Raise

awar

enes

s am

ongs

t dec

ision

m

aker

s of t

he im

porta

nce o

f SL

M an

d its

links

with

pove

rty

allev

iation

.

Desig

n and

prep

are m

ater

ials f

or ke

y dec

ision

m

aker

sIn

creas

ed aw

aren

ess

of im

porta

nce o

f SLM

in

proje

ct im

plem

en-

tatio

n

1 yea

rNC

CDUS

$300

,000

This

proje

ct ne

eds t

o be

coor

dinat

ed

with

the c

limat

e ch

ange

and

biodiv

ersit

y pr

ogra

mm

es

Orga

nise a

ware

ness

sessi

ons

with

iden

tified

decis

ion m

aker

s

Revis

e mat

erial

s bas

ed on

feed

back

and e

ffecti

ve-

ness

Obta

in NG

O inv

olvem

ent i

n the

exer

cise

IMPLEM

ENTATION PLAN


2.1

Stak

ehold

ers’

Enha

nced

Capa

city i

n Bu

dget

Prep

arat

ion

and I

mple

men

tatio

n

Outco

me 2

:En

hanc

ed M

obilis

a-tio

n and

Alloc

ation

of

Inte

rnal

Reso

urce

sM

edium

Incre

ase t

he effi

cient

dis

burse

men

t of r

esou

rces

Cond

uct a

rapid

need

s asse

ssmen

t of

staff

at id

entifi

ed in

stitu

tion

Bette

r disb

urse

-m

ent o

f pro

ject

fund

ing re

sour

ces

1 to 2

year

sNC

CDUS

$300

,000

Deve

lop TO

Rs fo

r tra

ining

cons

ultan

cy

for b

udge

t set

ting a

nd im

plem

enta

-tio

n

Imple

men

t tra

ining

sessi

ons a

nd

mon

itorin

g the

ir effe

ctive

ness

thro

ugh

perfo

rman

ce in

dicat

ors

2.2

Loca

l Aut

horit

ies‘

Enha

nced

Capa

city i

n Ra

ising

Fund

s for

SLM

Outco

me 2

:En

hanc

ed M

obilis

a-tio

n and

Alloc

ation

of

Inte

rnal

Reso

urce

s

Med

iumIm

prov

e loc

al au

thor

ity

effec

tiven

ess i

n rais

ing

SLM

proje

ct fu

nds

Deve

lop TO

Rs fo

r tra

ining

cons

ultan

cy

on pr

epar

ing lo

cal d

evelo

pmen

t plan

s th

at in

tegr

ate S

LM pr

incipl

esBe

tter d

isbur

se-

men

t of p

rojec

t fu

nding

reso

urce

s1 t

o 2 ye

ars

MOM

A with

MOE

. NC

CD to

play

su

ppor

ting r

ole fo

r M

OMA

US$1

.5 m

illion

Imple

men

t tra

ining

for m

unici

palit

ies

on pr

oject

imple

men

tatio

n to i

mpr

ove

use o

f fun

ds

Incre

ase M

OMA’s

awar

enes

s of S

LM

impo

rtanc

e

2.3

Incre

ased

Use

of

Loca

l and

Inte

rna-

tiona

l Priv

ate F

unds

in

SLM

Outco

me 2

:En

hanc

ed M

obilis

a-tio

n and

Alloc

ation

of

Inte

rnal

Reso

urce

s

Med

iumIn

creas

e the

leve

l of

SLM

proje

ct fu

nding

Surv

ey pr

ivate

secto

r CSR

and p

oten

-tia

l for S

LM p

rojec

t fun

ding

Incre

ase i

n priv

ate

secto

r fina

nc-

ing fo

r SLM

and

dese

rtific

ation

pr

ojects

1 to 2

year

s

NCCD

with

Dep

art-

men

t of S

tatis

tics,

MOI

, Cha

mbe

r of

Com

mer

ce

US$7

5,000

This

initia

tive

need

s to b

e co

ordin

ated

wi

th cl

imat

e ch

ange

and

biodiv

ersit

y pr

ogra

mm

es

Rank

com

panie

s acco

rding

to

likeli

hood

of su

ppor

t

Inclu

de po

tent

ial co

mpa

nies a

s po

tent

ial so

urce

s of

fund

ing as

part

of

SLM

umbr

ella p

rogr

amm

e

Prod

uce m

ater

ials e

mph

asisi

ng im

por-

tanc

e of S

LM pr

oject

inves

tmen

t

3.1

Loca

l Sta

keho

lders’

En

hanc

ed Kn

owled

ge

of Ex

tern

al Fu

nding

So

urce

s

Outco

me 3

: En

hanc

ed M

obilis

a-tio

n of

Exte

rnal

Re-

sour

ces

Med

iumIn

creas

e sta

keho

lders’

abilit

y to u

n-de

rstan

d don

or fu

nding

oper

ation

s

Deve

lop an

onlin

e dat

abas

e of e

xter

-na

l fund

ing pa

rtner

s

Bette

r disb

urse

-m

ent o

f pro

ject

fund

ing re

sour

ces

1 yea

rM

OPIC

and G

MUS

$225

,000

This

initia

tive

need

s to b

e co

ordin

ated

wi

th cl

imat

e ch

ange

and

biodiv

ersit

y pr

ogra

mm

es

Orga

nise t

raini

ng pr

ogra

mm

es on

do

nor m

odali

ties a

nd pr

oced

ures

IMPLEM

ENTATION PLAN


4.1

Use o

f Rev

olving

Fu

nds t

o Sup

port

SLM

Ac

tiviti

es

Outco

me 4

: En

hanc

ed M

obilis

a-tio

n of In

nova

tive

Reso

urce

s

Low

Chan

nel re

sour

ces t

owar

ds po

or

com

mun

ities

to be

nefit

SLM

Revie

w ex

isting

expe

rienc

e with

re

volvi

ng fu

nds i

n Jor

dan a

nd dr

aw

lesso

nsIn

creas

ed in

com

e fo

r poo

r co

mm

uniti

es an

d re

sulti

ng be

nefit

fo

r SLM

Cont

inuou

s

NCCD

with

MOE

, M

OA, M

OSD,

MW

I, NG

Os an

d loc

al co

mm

uniti

es

US$7

.5 m

illion

Iden

tify k

ey ar

eas f

or us

e of r

evolv

ing

fund

s, ba

sed o

n SLM

and p

over

ty

allev

iation

Deve

lop us

e of r

evolv

ing fu

nds a

nd

mon

itor e

ffecti

vene

ss

(1) B

udge

t est

imat

es b

ased

on

IFS

2008

figu

res

3 –

Impl

emen

tati

on F

ram

ewor

k (2

015-

2024

): N

ew II

F Pr

opos

ed P

roje

cts

#Pr

ojec

tPr

ogra

mm

ePr

iorit

yOb

ject

ives

Activ

ities

Expe

cted

Outp

uts

Dura

tion

Impl

emen

ting

Agen

cies

Estim

ated

Budg

et (1

)Co

mm

ents

1

Stro

ng

Fram

ewor

k for

En

viron

men

tal

Cont

rols

Could

form

pa

rt of

a ne

w pr

ogra

mm

e lin

ked w

ith

Outco

me 1

an

d Pro

ject

1.1 (s

ee Fi

gure

10

.2)

High

Impr

ove E

IA an

d EM

P ap

prais

al, le

gislat

ive

and e

nfor

cem

ent s

yste

m

(link

ed to

Envir

onm

enta

l Po

lice U

nit)

Revie

w op

erat

ional,

legis

lative

syste

m (i

n con

juncti

on w

ith

Proje

ct 1.1

of O

utco

me 1

abov

e in F

igure

10.2)

and e

nfor

ce-

men

t sys

tem

. Set

out r

ecom

men

datio

ns fo

r impr

ovem

ents

and

imple

men

t thr

ough

gove

rnm

ent a

genc

ies.

Impr

oved

na

tiona

l, re-

giona

l and

loca

l en

viron

men

tal

cont

rols

1 - 2

year

s

MOE

, MOA

, Min-

istry

of Ju

stice

, MW

I, MOT

A and

NG

Os

US$6

00,00

0 –

US$1

milli

on

Ther

e nee

ds to

be

stron

g coo

rdina

tion

with

clim

ate c

hang

e an

d biod

iversi

ty

initia

tives

.

Ther

e mus

t to

be a

soun

d as-

sessm

ent o

f sta

ffing

ne

eds f

or SE

A, EI

A an

d EM

P asse

ss-m

ent t

eam

s at t

he

regio

nal a

nd lo

cal

levels

.

Esta

blish

new

syste

m fo

r SE

A in J

orda

n

Outli

ne re

quire

men

ts fo

r SEA

syste

m in

Jord

an. D

raft

the

legisl

ative

requ

irem

ents

and i

mple

men

t thr

ough

gove

rnm

ent

agen

cies

Impr

ove a

nd st

reng

then

en

viron

men

tal c

ontro

ls in

othe

r are

as, s

uch a

s for

na

ture

rese

rves

, tou

rism

at

tracti

ons a

nd en

viron

-m

enta

l cer

tifica

tion.

Iden

tify o

ther

area

s whe

re en

viron

men

tal c

ontro

ls co

uld be

str

engt

hene

d eg:

for n

atur

e res

erve

s, to

urism

attra

ction

s and

en

viron

men

tal c

ertifi

catio

n. M

ake s

pecifi

c rec

omm

enda

tions

fo

r impr

ovem

ents

to op

erat

ional,

legis

lative

and e

nfor

cem

ent

requ

irem

ents.

IMPLEM

ENTATION PLAN


#Pr

ojec

tPr

ogra

mm

ePr

iorit

yOb

ject

ives

Activ

ities

Expe

cted

Outp

uts

Dura

tion

Impl

emen

ting

Agen

cies

Estim

ated

Budg

et (1

)Co

mm

ents

2

Effec

tive S

yste

m

of La

nd U

se

Plann

ing an

d De

velop

men

t Co

ntro

l

Shou

ld fo

rm pa

rt of

ne

w ov

erall

pr

ogra

mm

e

High

Stre

ngth

en la

nd us

e pla

nning

cont

rols

at th

e na

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APPENDIX 1JNAP Programmes And Projects1. Programme One: Desertification Information System (DIS)Updated spatial and temporal information for desertification is crucial in identifying priorities and target areas for action plans. An efficient database needs to be constructed and made available for researchers, planners and eventually to decision-makers. Effective utilization and updating of exist-ing data is required, particularly maps and surveys.

Consolidated and accurate data are needed from the Ministry of Environment (MOE) in cooperation with the Badia Research and Development Center (BRDC). As a part of the e-government, the pro-posed DIS will provide information needed for different users including planners, decision-makers, academic institutions, and NGOs as well as donor agencies. The overall aim of the DIS programme is to build up and activate an updated system for desertification in Jordan.

The specific objectives of this programme are:

• To create a desertification information network;

• To provide capacity development for the MOE;

• To compile and update existing information;

• To identify gaps and information needs for monitoring and combating desertification; and,

• To provide socio-economic information on desertification impacts.

In order to achieve the above objectives, integrated projects relating to desertification have been outlined. These projects will develop the capacity of the MOE in desertification monitoring. Output from other programmes and projects will be merged and integrated with DIS to provide information in near real-time for the different beneficiaries and users.

Areas of activities will include:

• Mapping of desertification (status, rate, risk and hazard),

• Mapping and updating of land use,

• Build up of operational GIS database on desertification.

1.1 Project Title: Establishing a Desertification Database

Justification: Scattering and discrepancies in data are two major problems that restrict the utilization of information in research and projects related to combating desertification. The need to organize the database so as to store, compile and provide data for the different users has been emphasized by many institutions. Therefore, this project aims to build an environmental database where differ-ent data sets on land, vegetation, climate, socio-economic and demography are stored, compiled, and published through the web. Connecting this database with GIS data of the different institutions including Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), Department of Statistics (DOS), Ministry of Water and Irriga-tion (MWI), Badia Research and Development Centers (BRDC), universities and NGOs is also an objec-tive that is required to unify efforts of combating desertification.

Objectives:

1. To create a geo-referenced database for environment and desertification studies; and,

2. To link the different sources of environmental data and National Information Technology Center

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(NITC) through an environmental information network.

Activities:

1. Collecting and compiling data on desertification in Jordan; and,

2. Creating a GIS database and website on desertification in Jordan.

All relevant information and data from National Soil Map and Land Use Project (NSMLUP), range sur-veys, Meteorological Department (MD), MWI, web databases, Royal Jordanian Geographic Center (RJGC), BRDC, and DOS will be compiled, organised into digital format, and stored in the database. To achieve this, hardware and software requirements have to be obtained and installed.

Expected Outputs:

1. National database on desertification accessible to all the environmental community.

2. Trained people of all concerned agencies on the use of desertification database.

Duration:

Construction: Two Years.

Operation: Continuous.

Implementing Agencies: MOE, Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST), BRDC, MOA, MWI, DOS, Municipality of Amman, National Information Technology Center, and NGO’s.

Estimated Budget: US$500,000

Update (March 2012) - Developing Policy-Oriented Research Guidelines, Procedures and Tools to Sup-port Implementing Rio Conventions in Jordan): Not implemented.

1.2 Project Title: Desertification MappingJustification: Most of the country’s land area receives less than 200mm of annual rainfall; hence land and land resources are highly sensitive to desertification. In addition to the low rainfall and periodic droughts in the country, human induced factors are accelerating desertification in different parts of the country. Among these factors are livestock and grazing practices, inappropriate agricultural and irrigation techniques, the marginalization of land, changing socio-economic conditions, absence of land use legislation and a high population growth rate. The impacts of these factors are expected to vary in terms of geography/topography, as ecosystem sensitivity/resilience is location dependant. Therefore, this project aims to map desertification and to identify areas that are already affected or have reached advanced stage of desertification, areas under the risk of desertification and possible future trends of desertification in the country. This, however, requires the identification of criteria for each environmental component and to integrate provisional methodologies into local and regional conditions in order to prepare detailed and semi-detailed maps of desertification status, rate, hazard, and risk in the country. Outputs from this project are expected to identify areas with a high priority of rehabilitation and the necessary measures required for combating desertification in different parts of the country.

Objectives:

1. To map desertification status, rate, risk and hazard in Jordan under the umbrella of a national uni-versity;

2. To identify future trends and the extent of desertification;

3. To identify the root-causes of desertification and the necessary measures to combat land degrada-tion problem; and,

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4. To scope the high-priority areas for measures of combating desertification.

Activities:

1. Conducting a comprehensive survey to scope available data and their quality;

2. Completion of missing maps and updating of some maps including land cover/use;

3. Setting out and/or selection of the necessary criteria for identification of desertification status, rate, risk, and hazard; and,

4. Implementation of GIS and Remote Sensing models for mapping desertification.

Expected Outputs:

• Identification of desertification-prone areas in Jordan;

• Production of thematic maps (scale 1:50,000 and 1:10,000) of desertification, showing existing and potential land uses in digital formats, available through Project 1.1 (Environmental Database); and,

• Production of priority maps of areas requiring urgent actions of rehabilitation and restoration.

Duration: Four years.

Implementing Agencies: MOE, international donor agencies (UN/FAO), University of Jordan (UOJ), BRDC, and NGO’s.

Estimated Budget: US$1,000,000


1.3 Project Title: Public AwarenessJustification: Project success in combating desertification is determined by the participation of affect-ed local communities. The degree of response, action, and local community involvement will depend on their awareness of the causes and consequences of the problem. Poor coordination between dif-ferent agencies at the national and the regional levels are among the problems that face the project implementation and plans to combat desertification. Therefore, this proposed project aims to raise public awareness and to enhance local community participation and organization in order to high-light the root causes, impacts and necessary action plans and measures that are required to control and combat this problem.

Objectives:

1. To raise awareness towards the problems of desertification and its consequences;

2. To create awareness at all institutional levels of those involved in combating desertification; and,

3. To coordinate national efforts in understanding the causes and impacts of desertification, and the levels of training required for combating desertification.

Activities:

1. Identification of target groups and their roles in combating desertification;

2. Raising public awareness towards sustainable land use through educational and training pro-grammes;

3. Organising seminars, workshops and conferences at the national level;

4. Producing brochures and multimedia presentations through mass media; and,

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5. Conducting awareness campaigns through all appropriate communication channels among chil-dren and youth, particularly in arid and semi-arid zones of the country.

Expected Outputs:

Increase in public awareness of desertification. More people trained at different agencies capable of carrying out public awareness activities.


Implementing Agencies: MOE, MOA, MWI, the Hashemite Fund for Human Development (HFHD), the Hashemite Fund for Badia Development (HFBD), BRDC, universities, Municipality of Amman, and The Jordanian Society for Combating Desertification.

Estimated Budget: US$400,000.

Update (March 2012) - Developing Policy-Oriented Research Guidelines, Procedures and Tools to Sup-port Implementing Rio Conventions in Jordan): Undertaken through different themes and activi-ties.

2. Programme Two: Drought Prediction and Desertification ControlJustification: This programme aims to monitor drought and desertification for aid in formulating ac-tion plans by decision-makers. The project will also focus on combating land degradation through consistent efforts towards land resources conservation and mitigating the effects of droughts. Jordan is located in one of the most unpredictable parts of the world in terms of drought and rainfall vari-ations. Creation of a sub-regional centre for drought prediction will help decision makers to better understand drought cycles and to construct plans to face any drought periods in advance. The centre will also provide information on drought and optimal measures to tackle drought conditions and to combat the possible impacts. Other roles of the centre would be to facilitate the exchange and sharing of information with other regional and sub-regional centres/international organizations. This would include knowledge and the fostering of cooperation in conducting surveys, which would ben-efit all concerned parties at national and regional levels.

Initially, two projects within this programme are suggested to monitor and predict droughts and their impacts. The first will focus on identifying remotely sensed and biophysical indicators for monitoring and prediction of drought. This will act as an early warning system to identify extent of drought. The second project will focus on identifying the highly affected areas (hotspots) and the possible eco-nomic impacts of drought in these areas. In this regard, an agreement was signed between the MOA and the FAO to develop a national strategy to mitigate drought.

2.1 Project Title: Center of Drought Monitoring and Prediction (CDMP)Justification: Monitoring and prediction of drought are usually needed in near real-time in order to formulate action plans within the drought period, particularly in arid and semi-arid zones where rain-fall amounts and distribution are highly variable. This, however, requires the use of efficient method-ologies that provide information for decision-makers at a reasonable cost and within a short duration of time. The use of ground surveys and questionnaires would not be sufficient to provide information on the spatial distribution of the problem. Recent developments in remote sensing technology have provided efficient methodologies for drought monitoring. Different initiatives have been carried out in Africa to monitor drought and its spatial distribution. The need for such projects in Jordan and the region is urgent in order to provide real-time information for decision-makers, planners, and local communities.

The use of remotely sensed indicators, coupled with climate data and models, would enable the con-struction of drought monitoring centres and networks. Such methodologies can be used in Jordan for monitoring conditions of vegetation (Al-Bakri and Taylor, 2003) and the response to rainfall (Al

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Bakri and Suleiman, 2004). These methodologies are based on high temporal resolution data (e.g. NOAA-AVHRR, MODIS, and SPOT-Vegetation) that are available on a daily basis and can be down-loaded from the web.

Objectives:

1. To establish a centre for drought prediction and early warning that forms part of regional and global network;

2. To adopt and test remotely sensed techniques, such as Dendonograph and Paleo Climate indices related to drought monitoring in Jordan and in the region;

3. To exchange data and information between drought monitoring centres; and,

4. To identify highly affected areas on annual and seasonal basis and in real-time within the season.

Activities:

1. Establishing the drought-monitoring centre with the required infrastructure and personnel;

2. Analysis of climatic data through different techniques to identify the probability of drought and return periods for the different parts of Jordan;

3. Identifying areas with high probabilities of drought;

4. Selecting remotely sensed indices for monitoring drought;

5. Providing adequate training for staff in remote sensing and high temporal resolution data and their use in drought monitoring; and,

6. Implementing and testing methodology, jointly with FAO/UN, WFP/UN, and regional international centres.

Expected Outputs:

1. A specialized scientific centre on drought prediction and monitoring;

2. Capacity building for the relevant national agencies;

3. Adoption of real-time monitoring method for drought monitoring and prediction; and,

4. Identification of the areas severely affected by droughts.

Duration: Construction and training: five years. Operation: Continuous.

Implementing Agencies: MWI, MOA, Meteorological Department (MD), UOJ, and BRDC.


Update (March 2012) - Developing Policy-Oriented Research Guidelines, Procedures and Tools to Sup-port Implementing Rio Conventions in Jordan): Established at NCARE, previously known as NCARTT.

2.2 Project Title: Assessment of Drought ImpactsJustification: Combating desertification requires an assessment of the highly affected areas to reha-bilitate the ecosystem and to formulate plans to mitigate the socio-economic impacts. The concern of the international community, particularly the UN World Food Programme (WFP), is to implement and translate the drought monitoring indicators into food deficit of people and livestock. Therefore, the identification of the severity of drought and its geographic distribution would provide informa-tion for decision-makers to provide additional resources and emergency plans to mitigate the effects of droughts at the country level. Further analysis of socio-economic impacts, however, is needed to estimate the possible impact and damage to resources. Therefore, this project aims to assess drought impacts in the affected areas. The output from the first project of this programme would be used to

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estimate and assess damage and to identify target communities suffering from drought impacts.

Objectives:

1. To identify drought severity and extent on an annual/seasonal basis;

2. To identify affected communities and potential economic impacts; and,

3. To provide technical and scientific advice to decision-makers.

Activities:

1. Establishing this component under the umbrella of a national university;

2. Providing the necessary equipment and facilities; and,

3. Hiring well-qualified and experienced personnel and researchers.

Expected Outputs:

1. Annual and seasonal information on geographic distribution and the extent of drought-affected communities and resources; and,

2. Estimation of economic impacts of future droughts.

Duration:

Construction and training: three years. Operation: continuous.

Implementing Agencies: MOE, MOA, MWI, BRDC, HFBD, UOJ, UN/WFP, and NGOs.

Estimated Budget: US$1,000,000.


3. Programme Three: Capacity Building and Institutional DevelopmentJustification: Building the capacity of institutions and people working in the field of desertification is the first step towards combating of desertification. The existing capacities are scattered among both governmental and non-governmental organisations. In addition, legislation and mandates regarding desertification control in Jordan are scattered amongst several governmental agencies. This results in poor implementation and enforcement of the existing environmental legislation and expertise that results in inefficient monitoring procedures and control.

In addition, desertification processes are constantly changing. Consequently, information and data-bases relevant to desertification should be updated at different scales. This would require the use of specialised environmental information systems in which up-to-date technology of remote sensing and GIS tools should be implemented. This was emphasised in previous programmes and projects. However, the need for personnel, software, hardware and data forms a crucial part of the capacity building programme where training of specialised units is needed. Therefore, the overall objective of this programme is to build up national capacity through the development of scientifically based mechanisms that provide continuous and reliable information about the state of desertification.

Aim: To build national capacity in combating desertification and monitoring land degradation and develop drought preparedness and drought relief schemes.

Specific Objectives:

1. To establish a training unit within the MOE, under the umbrella of the UOJ (and in cooperation with Yarmouk University and other universities), that would be capable of planning, coordinating and ini-tiating activities related to combating desertification;

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2. To establish an academic platform including a Computerized Monitoring Programme for monitor-ing desertification. This part was included in Sections 2.1 and 2.2 above; and,

3. To set up a National Fund to Combat Desertification (NFCD).

Implementation: Capacity building at the institutional and community levels will help to combat de-sertification and to alleviate its adverse impacts. The project would be run under the supervision and implementation of the MOE, MOA, and the HFBD.

3.1 Project Title: National Training Programmes to Monitor and Control Deser-tificationJustification: Building capacity of researchers in desertification is needed for successful implementa-tion of proposed projects. This would require specialised national programmes of training in deser-tification monitoring and control. Thus, this project proposed to create a training unit at the MOE to follow up training programmes in different fields and agencies related to desertification. There was an emphasis on remote sensing technology and GIS, rangeland management and rehabilitation, wa-ter harvesting, and land use planning.

Expected Outputs:

1. A well-established unit to plan/coordinate training supervised by NUJ; and,

2. Desertification control at the MOE (part of Programmes 1 and 2).

Activities:

1. Evaluating the technical background and capabilities of the desertification control unit in the MOE;

2. Conducting a series of workshops/technical meetings to define mandates for governmental agen-cies in the field and to define a corporate plan that places the Desertification Unit (DU) as the final reference point for the subject in Jordan;

3. Defining training needs and the required technical equipment, so the DU can proceed with its mandate;

4. Providing training programmes for staff working at DU, with an emphasis on highly specialised programmes under the supervision of highly qualified experts. About 6-8 people to be trained every year;

5. Coordinating approaches of different projects and programmes addressing desertification issues; and,

6. Providing feedback from projects to identify needs and modify programmes.

Duration: Four years

Implementing Agencies: MOE, MOA in cooperation with the UOJ and the Hashemite University.



3.2 Project Title: Establishing National Fund to Combat DesertificationJustification: The UNCCD calls for resource mobilization and disbursement mechanisms that fit with an integrative bottom-up approach. This would require a complementary source of funding targeted for the local level, and only one of several mechanisms at the national level of supporting implemen-tation of the UNCCD. The proposed project is a national mechanism that is focused on local commu-nity groups, NGOs and civil society to assist in their participation and empowerment.

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Objectives:

1. To serve as a mechanism through which small grants to communities can be made based on their priority needs and concerns;

2. To provide funds that could lead to mobilisation of other financial resources; and,

3. To contribute to the mobilisation of financial resources from different sources for combating de-sertification.

Activities:

1. Introduction and consensus building;

2. Proposal development by a task force;

3. Establishing the NFCD at the MOE (to obtain official approval); and,

4. Operation of the NFCD by disbursing small grants to communities, intensifying resource mobilisa-tion efforts, and reviewing progress to make necessary adjustments.

Expected Outputs: National Trust Fund on Desertification established with clear legal status

Duration: Two years.

Implementing Agencies: MOE and HFBD in cooperation with GEF.



3.3 Project Title: Legal Framework for Monitoring and Development of Deserti-ficationJustification: Policies related to desertification play a crucial role in the formulation and implementa-tion of action plans. The absence of proper legislation, policies and an implementing agency contrib-ute greatly to the failure to tackle the causes of desertification. New legislation for combating deserti-fication and monitoring its effects, as well as the updating of existing legislation, are still needed. This would require a legal framework and additional authorisation to be given to the MOE. In addition, an environmental court is urgently needed to ensure monitoring and auditing of land degradation and desertification. Therefore, this project aims to establish a legal framework for monitoring desertifica-tion and for developing resilience and control measures.

Objectives:

1. To develop and update existing laws related to desertification; and,

2. To formulate a law for desertification monitoring and control.

Activities:

1. Reviewing existing laws related to desertification; and,

2. Formulating new laws.

Expected Outputs:

1. A legal framework for monitoring desertification and the effectiveness of action plans; and,

2. Identification of relevant authorities in the MOE and other institutions for combating and moni-toring desertification.

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Duration: Review of legislation: one year. Formulation of legal framework: three years.

Implementing Agencies: MOE, MOA, Ministry of Justice, MWI, Amman Municipality and NGO’s.

Estimated Budget: US$200.000


4. Programme Four: Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems of Rangelands and ForestsJustification: The development and strengthening of integrated development programmes for pov-erty alleviation and promotion of alternative livelihood systems in the rangelands is the main objec-tive of this programme. Areas of implementation are focused on reforestation of rangelands and the sustainable use of wetlands. This programme would promote the sustainable development of areas prone to desertification.

4.1 Project Title: Community Based Rangeland RehabilitationJustification: Rangelands are important environments from a socio-economic and biophysical point of view. Thus, special attention should be given to rehabilitate, upgrade, and protect this environ-ment. Rangelands play an important role in providing low cost animal feed for communities where grazing is a way of life and a source of income for a large sector of those inhabiting these areas. Rangelands are severely degraded because of overgrazing, uprooting of range plants, off road driv-ing, inadequate cultivation patterns, and urbanization. This results from decreasing numbers of im-portant range plants, an increase of poisonous and noxious plants, soil erosion, loss of soil fertility, and loss of rainfall water through run-off. If suitable correction measures are not taken, the trend of degradation will increase and reach much of the rangelands at an irreversible stage. This would lead to desertification and would affect biodiversity, forage production for grazing, and environmental balance.

Special attention should be applied to indicators such as plant species coverage and grazing levels in the field. The measure of carrying capacity is important as it determines whether the rangelands can be regenerated or will be destroyed. The Badia is characterized by a wide diversity of archaeological sites and ecotourism is becoming increasingly important there as an alternative income generator.

The contribution of the rangelands to the feeding calendar of grazing animals is currently much less than 25%. This decline in forage productivity can be attributed to the prevailing conflict on range-lands ownership and land tenure, which have encouraged uncontrolled grazing and cultivation. Continuous degradation of grazing resources threatens the livelihood of pastoral communities con-stituting 5% of Jordan’s population. Rangeland resources (soil, water, and vegetation) are neither well understood documented. There is an increasing demand for updated and geo-referenced data of rangeland sites and type, botanical composition, forage production, carrying capacity, water re-sources, and livestock production systems for management and development purposes. There is a lack of database information used to specify the indicators of rangeland degradation.

Aim: To reduce rangeland degradation, restore its capacity, and promote sustainable use.

Objectives:

1. To produce a well documented and updated inventory on range resources;

2. To restore the productive capacity of rangelands, stabilise forage and livestock production and develop a national monitoring and evaluation system for the area; and,

3. To protect rangeland resources (including fauna and flora) and provide ecotourism opportunities

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as an alternative income for pastoral communities.

Activities:

1. Inventory: Collect and compile databases on physical, biological and socio-economic aspects of rangeland resources. The major components of rangeland inventory would include:

• The identification of range sites;

• Determining rangeland condition and priorities;

• Mapping of range condition;

• Identifying changes in resource status; and,

• Identifying key plant species.

2. Restoration: Survey and assess range resources and identify the appropriate criteria for establish-ing suitable carrying capacity. This would involve:

• Setting up National Ranger systems;

• Monitoring the status and trends of rangeland resources; and,

• Training and capacity building for rangeland management.

3. Ecotourism: This would involve the following:

• Identifying suitable ecotourism attractions;

• Conducting the necessary scientific and socioeconomic surveys;

• Establishing the required facilities and infrastructure for tourism;

• Conducting environmental awareness and training programmes for local communities on the ben-efits of projects identified; and,

• Providing appropriate training for local communities.


Implementing Agencies: MOE, MOA, Ministry of Interior, and the HFBD.


Update (March 2012) - Developing Policy-Oriented Research Guidelines, Procedures and Tools to Support Implementing Rio Conventions in Jordan): Implemented with constraints and obstacles through Badia Restoration Programme implemented by the MOE through the UN Compensa-tion Commission funding awarded from environmental damage arising from the Gulf Wars.

4.2 Project Title: Rehabilitation and Development of Forest EnvironmentJustification: Forests play an important role in maintaining biodiversity and a sustainable income source for the nearby communities. Moreover, trees and forests have attributed longstanding cultur-al values that have defined the Mediterranean landscapes. Many endangered ecosystems and rare, endemic species in the Mediterranean still coexist in the forest environment.

Given the limited water resources in the region, forest zones are scientifically known to be major recharge zones for the local shallow aquifer systems. Maintaining these zones will help to provide re-charge mechanisms for groundwater resources. The main threats facing non-productive forest areas in Jordan (as in many other Mediterranean countries) are the lack of value attributed to forest area in comparison with more productive land; and, the absence of a comprehensive land use master plan that takes into consideration the sensitive criteria of the forest’s environment.

130

Recently, the GOJ has prepared a national land use master plan in which forests and green areas are given special classification. To date, forests are protected by decrees from either the MOA or the MOE, and the valuation of forests has not been undertaken. Thus awareness of forest value is low and the range of environmental and economic services they provide have not been acknowledged. There is little awareness of the extent and consequences of environmental degradation and of alternatives to the over-exploitation of forest areas. Consequently, there is resistance to any conservation measures for the uncontrolled use of natural resources through tree cutting, agricultural encroachment, hunt-ing, or grazing.

Aim: To implement forest rehabilitation programmes, the sustainable use of forest resources and to develop good governance models of locally based sustainable forest management.

Objectives:

1. To encourage the protection of forests through local involvement and the development of com-munity management plans under the supervision of MOA;

2. To monitor the impacts of drought and land uses on forest resources; and,

3. To promote ecotourism in forest and urban areas.

Expected Outputs:

1. Better forest management schemes are in place; and,

2. The formulation of a set of applicable guidelines, which would focus on establishing an effective mechanism to guide forestry performance in water scarce and climate adverse environments and would monitor adverse impacts on forest resources.

Activities:

1. Forest Management: This would involve:

• Identifying forested area/s;

• Identifying stakeholders and different current uses of the forestry areas;

• Establishing a negotiation platform involving public authorities, experts, local authorities and user groups; and developing a local management plan that would include: reforestation and mainte-nance of forest areas; conservation and/or sustainable use of local species; protection arrangements by local authorities and local user groups; socio-economic feasibility; and, analysis of the experi-ence, lessons learned and inform decision and policymaking.

2. Monitoring: This would require the observation of seasonal activity patterns of the most relevant eco-physiological parameters (leaf water potential; leaf stomata conductance; net CO2 assimilation rate; chlorophyll fluorescence; soil moisture measurements).

3. Ecotourism: This would involve:

Identifying areas suitable for projects (forests, protected areas, valleys, and mountains areas) in con-nection with local municipalities:

• Conducting environmental impact assessments for the identified areas;

• Undertaking capacity building assessments of potential projects;

• Conducting tourism awareness campaigns and informing local communities of the economic re-turns of such models within an environmentally protected approach; and,

• Developing infrastructure for ecotourism in the selected models.

Duration: Three years.

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Implementing Agencies: MOA (Forest Department), MOE, and local communities.


Update (March 2012) - Developing Policy-Oriented Research Guidelines, Procedures and Tools to Support Implementing Rio Conventions in Jordan): Implemented with constraints and obstacles through Badia Restoration Programme implemented by the MOE through the UN Compensa-tion Commission funding awarded from environmental damage arising from the Gulf Wars.

5. Programme Five: Watershed ManagementJustification: The use of water resources, especially groundwater, has exceeded a sustainable level for many years because of lack of effective management policy and poor law enforcement. Over pump-ing of groundwater has reached an alarming level in many aquifers where overdraft is more than 200% of the safe yield, such as in the Azraq basin and the Amman-Zarqa basin.

Therefore, immediate measures have to be taken to manage water resources in a sustainable manner. Such measures should not be limited to supply management options but should also cover demand management. This programme will seek to augment supply and manage water more efficiently. The additional water supply that would be made available could be used to increase and improve range-lands through water distribution, by reducing water salinity through recharging groundwater, and by improving water use efficiency.

This programme aims to enhance the integrated management and conservation of water in arid ar-eas. Projects would focus on the following areas:

1. The documentation of traditional knowledge on soil and water conservation;

2. The artificial recharge of groundwater;

3. House roof water harvesting;

4. A national water harvesting project for improving rangeland productivity; and,

5. Using reclaimed water for green belt areas around villages and along roads in arid areas.

5.1 Project Title: Documentation of Traditional Knowledge on Soil and Water ConservationJustification: There is traditional evidence of effective water saving techniques used by agriculture practice. These have included stone formations for water harvesting, underground dams, terraces for soil and water conservation, rain harvesting in cisterns and water spreading. The evidence of this practice of agricultural system can be found near Petra, Ma’an, and Jawa, for example, and date back to the Nabatean period.

Studies have failed to answer questions about how effective traditional agricultural systems were, what climatic conditions existed at the time, to what extent irrigation systems then were capable of sustaining agriculture, and what would happen during periods of drought. It is important to study traditional knowledge and practices of soil and water conservation in order to understand their ad-aptation to physical and social conditions of that period. These methods could be useful in present day conditions and as a basis for adopting modern technology.

Objectives: This project aims to document traditional practices of water harvesting and soil and water conservation with the following specific objectives:

• To define the characteristics of traditional knowledge;

• To document the engineering aspect of soil and water conservation;

• To study the hydrological aspect of traditional knowledge;

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• To draw up an inventory of traditional knowledge in Jordan; and,

• To identify the successful techniques suitable with modern technology.

Activities:

• Collect published material (theses, papers, reports and books);

• Conduct field surveys in order to determine the time and type of soil and water conservation works;

• Carry out field studies on the hydrological aspect of water harvesting;

• Document traditional practices using harvested water;

• Prepare engineering drawings of traditional methods of soil and water conservation; and,

• Adapt traditional knowledge to modern technology.

Expected Outputs:

• Conservation of indigenous/traditional knowledge on soil and water conservation and sustainable agriculture;

• Dissemination of such knowledge and practices for potential adoption; and,

• Improve traditional knowledge to be adoptable to existing social and physical conditions of to-day’s agriculture.


Implementing Agencies: Local farmers, MOA and the HFBD.


Update (March 2012) - Developing Policy-Oriented Research Guidelines, Procedures and Tools to Sup-port Implementing Rio Conventions in Jordan): Implemented through NGOs and research centres without proper documentation at the MOE.

5.2 Project Title: Artificial Recharge of GroundwaterJustification: In Jordan, most groundwater resources are located in arid areas but their discharge zones are in semi-humid areas. However, in the vicinity of the pumping wells there are good sites that can be used to direct water to the shallow aquifer. This might be an ideal condition for using de-sert flooding for this purpose especially when this water has no beneficial use downstream. The final destination of floodwater is typically evaporation from mudflat areas.

Objectives:

1. To increase the volume of recharged water to aquifers;

2. To improve the water quality and increase safe yield; and,

3. To make use of floodwater for beneficial purposes.

Activities: A pilot project will be established at a selected desert wadi where there is a potential re-charge area. The area of the wadi catchment could be 20-50km2. Within this catchment different techniques for artificial recharge will be tested and evaluated.

Beneficiaries: Local inhabitants who will use groundwater as well as MWI specialists, who will be trained on this approach.

Expected Outputs:

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1. Increased volume of recharged water and thus increased safe yield;

2. Established experience in artificial use that can be used for other sites;

3. Improved vegetation cover in the recharge area; and,

4. Personnel of MWI will be trained on the artificial recharge techniques.

Duration: Five years.

Implementing Agency: MWI.

Budget: US$1,000,000

Update (March 2012) - Developing Policy-Oriented Research Guidelines, Procedures and Tools to Sup-port Implementing Rio Conventions in Jordan): MOA and MWI have carried out several projects of water harvesting.

5.3 Project Title: House Roof Water HarvestingJustification: Water scarcity in Jordan forms a major challenge for water sector management. With increasing demand for clean water for domestic uses, other uses such as agriculture and industry must use less quality water. A significant part of domestic water use is for house gardening and land-scaping for which lower quality water could be used so that better quality water could be directed towards domestic use.

A national programme to promote water harvesting from house roofs, to be used for gardening/land-scaping, is one of the promising options to help in solving the growing demand for clean water. This would include incentives for those who have roof-collecting systems in the arid parts of the country.

Objective: To promote the use of roof collecting systems to collect rainfall water and use it in home gardening and landscaping.

Activities: Establishing a fund for roof water harvesting systems and training on how to construct low cost roof water collection systems and garden irrigation networks.

Target Groups: Low-income families in the arid parts of the country.

Expected Outputs: Promoting public participation, improving public awareness in the target areas, and lowering water bills for domestic use.


Implementing Agencies: NGOs and the National Centre for Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer (NCARTT).

Estimated Budget: US$1,000,000 as a revolving fund


5.4 Project Title: National Rainfall Water Harvesting Project for Agriculture FarmingJustification: Water consumption for agricultural uses form more than two-thirds of national resourc-es. Most of this water is from high quality groundwater. A project that encourages collecting and using rainfall flood in farming will release some of the pressure on groundwater and save more good quality water for human uses.

Objective: To promote using rainfall collecting systems to collect water runoff and use it as supple-

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mentary irrigation in fruit and vegetables farming.

Activities: Establishing a subsidised fund for farmers to construct rainfall-collecting systems for agri-cultural uses, and constructing model farms that uses harvested rainfall water for arid zone farming, selecting tolerant species, and efficient irrigation systems.

Beneficiaries: Local farmers who use groundwater for farming.

Expected Outputs: Reducing pressure on limited groundwater basins.


Implementing Agencies: MWI, MOA, Jordanian Farmers Union, Agriculture Loan Bank and BDRC.

Estimated Budget: US$5,000,000 (partially revolving).


5.5 Project Title: Use of Reclaimed Water for Village Green Belt Areas and Along Roads in Arid Areas of JordanJustification: The long-term objective of MWI is to provide most settlements with sewage systems and treatment plants. These plants could be provided at low cost to produce reclaimed water of accept-able quality to irrigate forests and landscape around settlements. This pilot project would provide a treatment plant and recycling component in a small village, which would be selected in the northern Badia. The project could be run by the BRDC and used for research and demonstration purposes. The wastewater treatment plant would use low-cost technology with a capacity of about 50-100 m3/day. At the beginning of the project, wastewater would be transported to the treatment plant by tanker.

Objectives: This project would demonstrate to communities and government agencies the advan-tages of such a system, which would be:

1. To reduce the hazard of polluting groundwater from cesspool and septic tanks; and,

2. To increase green area and thus combat desertification and reduce wind erosion.

Activities:

1. Establish a small low-cost wastewater treatment plant;

2. Select a reuse site and equip it with an irrigation system; and

3. Plant indigenous woody plants that could adapt to the local area.

Expected Outputs:

1. A treatment plant with a reuse component will be completed; and,

2. Local experience gained to be transferred to other communities.


Implementing Agencies: Local communities. MWI and BDRC.

Budget: US$200,000


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6. Programme Six: Human, Social, and Economic Development (Initiatives) Program.Justification: In conformity with the NAP framework, concerned authorities in the country will launch this human, social, and economic development initiative. Human intrusion in the ecological balance is a major cause of desertification. This arises from economic needs and social competition, partic-ularly when land tenure is concerned. Human adverse impacts on resources are a cause of great concern for researchers and planners, since reversibility requires consistent efforts and community specific action and activities.

The goal of this programme is to streamline stakeholder activities in relation to resource manage-ment, and to initiate a proactive role for local communities with reasonable value added for the co-herent economic and social activities suggested. The essence of the programme will be human de-velopment with training and capacity building of the target communities.

This will be coupled with model integrated community development in the arid lands of the Badia. This would start with a comprehensive assessment of the available infrastructure and services and would be followed by surveys of potential neighbouring resources that could capitalise on this dur-ing the integrated planning phase. The major objective of this component would be to promote sustainability and added value in local economy through investment in resources and knowledge.

6.1 Project Title: Modules of Comprehensive Training for CommunitiesJustification: The majority of remote communities targeted by this strategy are end users of natural resources that are much in demand in order to sustain inhabitants’ livelihoods. Unlimited accessibil-ity by local communities to those resources and their overuse is one root cause of desertification. In this project, it is intended to integrate awareness with hands-on experience in order to avoid misuse. Improving livelihoods requires significant training to introduce standard practice to raise productiv-ity levels in sanitation, nutrition, and education in households in the area of record keeping, financial accounting, and marketing skills.

The upgrading of basic needs and skills of household members will spread benefits throughout com-munities, especially for women. Special attention should be given to an integrated approach ensur-ing that training is closely associated with available development opportunities, and enabling the target communities to be able to contribute to suitable initiatives.

Objectives:

1.To increase training levels of local community populations in relation to the resource base; and,

2. To improve livelihoods.

Activities:

Short-term training will respond to the needs and shortcomings of community members through the following process:

1. Survey the needs;

2. Assess and design short-term training modules by experts in the relevant fields;

3. Select members of the community to assist and to train based on local needs;

4. Link training to the local developmental activities that will take place ensuring that the communi-ties clearly understand the objectives; and,

5. Conduct a post-evaluation assessment.

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Expected Outputs:

1. Enhanced productivity;

2. Improved household income; and,

3. Improved interaction with the local ecological resources.


Implementing Agencies: NGOs, RSCN, MOA, BRDC, and NCARTT.


Update (March 2012) - Developing Policy-Oriented Research Guidelines, Procedures and Tools to Sup-port Implementing Rio Conventions in Jordan): MOSD have undertaken this without particular at-tention to desertification.

6.2 Project Title: Integrated Socio-economic Development of Communities in the Arid LandsJustification: This project would promote local community sustainability in socio-economic develop-ment. It would seek to develop a working model for the sustainable use of resources in the arid zones. Three Bedouin communities would be chosen in the north, middle and south Badia, which would be remotely located within the arid zone and where the local economy would be based on traditional livestock management and low income.

The project would focus on basic socio-economic supply and demand for products, and training therein. There would also be a continuous review of project progress by project planners and stake-holders and a multi-disciplinary specialist team would carry out the training. There would be a strong link between training modules for communities and resource use.

Objectives:

1. To improve sustainably community livelihoods in arid lands;

2. To learn lessons; and,

3. To introduce improved arid land use practices and resource management techniques.

Activities:

1. Baseline data and resource base surveys;

2. Community needs and potential assessment;

3. Outreach and training;

4. Proposed development plans, with a public hearing held for the stakeholders; and,

5. Monitoring of selected indicators.

Expected Outputs:

1. Per capita income improvement;

2. References documenting cumulative knowledge; and,

3. Improved ecological conditions in the target location.

Duration: Five to seven years.

Implementing Agencies: Multiple concerned government agencies and selected NGOs.

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Budget: US$5,000,000

Update (March 2012) - Developing Policy-Oriented Research Guidelines, Procedures and Tools to Sup-port Implementing Rio Conventions in Jordan): MOSD have undertaken this without particular at-tention to desertification.

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APPENDIX 2IFS Recommendations For Additonal Projects And Resource MobilisationThe Integrated Financing Strategy for Sustainable Land Management in Jordan (Prepared by Con-solidated Consultants and Elard for MOPIC and MOE in December 2008) set out recommendations for four project ‘outcomes’ (or programmes) that would lead to more effective allocation of resources and better project implementation in fulfilling Jordan’s obligations to UNCCD. These related to im-provements to:

(1) The enabling environment for resource mobilisation;

(2) The allocation of internal resources;

(3) The mobilisation of external resources; and,

(4) The application of innovative resources.

For each outcome, the IFS identified outputs (or projects) and a recommended set of activities, with outputs defined as ‘high’, ‘medium’ or ‘low’ priority depending on the perceived urgency at the time of preparation. An estimated level of financing was provided and possible financing sources were proposed.

These projects from the IFS would be additional to those identified in the JNAP of 2006 and would have an implementation time frame of five years, with high-priority measures being initiated within the first year, medium priority measures within the second, and low-priority measures within the third. The NCCD would be the main owner of this strategy and would ensure its implementation, and the participation of each stakeholder participation according to the roles proposed in the action plan for strategy implementation.

These outcomes set out below, as proposed by IFS, are set out here for consideration to be included in a new JNAP programme. They will need to be reviewed in the context of the current needs for combating desertification, SLM and for a new JNAP.

Outcome 1: Enhanced Enabling Environment For Resource Mobilisation In Jordan

There are several constraints in the enabling environment that could hinder resource mobilisation. To allocate resources for SLM effectively, it is important to secure an appropriate legal and institutional environment for optimising the flow and impact of resources. The first outcome of IFS implementa-tion is expected to be an enhanced enabling environment for resources in Jordan, through more conducive legal, institutional, and planning frameworks. This outcome may be achieved through:

1- Enhanced legal framework for resource mobilisation;

2- Enhanced institutional framework;

3- Consolidated development and implementation of related policies; and

4- Enhanced awareness of the importance of SLM among decision-makers, including parliamentary committees, the GBD, and MOF. Economic tools should be a major instrument for awareness raising.

Output 1.1: Enhanced Legal Framework for Resource Mobilisation

Rationale: The following shortcomings in the legal framework were identified during analysis of the existing legal system and consultation with stakeholders:

• Environmental Law No. 52 of 2006 lacks basic principles that would improve resource mobilisation;

• The Investment Promotion Law does not include SLM/environmental principles that would chan-nel resources to environmentally sound investments;

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• Inconsistencies among texts lead to poor enforcement of laws. Penalties and fines are insufficient to deter violations;

• There are few appropriate incentives for investments to support SLM; and,

• There is a lack of minimum requirements for environmental/social investments such as for water efficiency, energy efficiency, greening and corporate social responsibility (CSR) measures.

Major legal reforms were undertaken under the 2007–2009 Executive Programme. This provided an overall reform climate that could help reform in the environmental legal framework. The updating of existing legislation would create a better legal environment for resource mobilisation, hence sup-porting the overall implementation of JNAP.

Proposed Activities: In addition to the technical measures identified during JNAP formulation, recom-mended actions for enhancing the legal framework for resource mobilisation include:

• Updating the Environmental Law to include polluter-pays principles, economic incentives, the right to claim for environmental damages, and environmental insurance. Penalties/regulations may need to be updated to become more effective;

• Updating the Investment Promotion Law to integrate sustainable development principles includ-ing SLM;

• Consolidating environmental legislation to remove inconsistencies, updating penalty systems, and providing incentives for environmental investments; and

• Assessing options for creating more incentives for the private sector to adopt CSR principles. This could help mobilise significant resources from the private sector.

Priority and Timeline: Legal reform, whilst a time consuming process, could help to make significant contributions to SLM project implementation. This is a high priority output that should be initiated in the first year of strategy implementation.

Financing: This activity could be financed largely from internal resources. Several multilateral and bilateral agencies are also keen to support such reforms, including World Bank and USAID. The ex-pected level of funding needed is US$300,000.

Implementation Modalities: The NCCD should coordinate with the ministries responsible for laws that require reform. Legal advisors/consultants may be needed to support the process. The key institu-tions needed for implementation of this would be the MOE (as lead agency), MOF, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Industry and Trade, MOA, MWI, MOTA, Higher Council for the Encouragement of Jordan Investment Board, and NGOs for lobbying and support in the implementation of reforms.

Output 1.2: Enhanced Institutional Framework

Rationale: Institutions need to develop the capacities for managing and implementing resource mo-bilisation for SLM. Three levels of institutional strengthening are proposed:

1- MOE and MOPIC, as the main drivers of the IFS process;

2- The NCCD; and

3- Key line ministries and institutions.

By addressing weaknesses at these three levels, these institutions will become more capable of play-ing their envisaged roles in SLM and resource mobilisation.

Proposed Activities: The key activities would include:

1- The institutional strengthening of MOE and MOPIC. For the MOE, this would involve capacity build-ing for new staff of the UNCCD Focal Point Unit in aspects of resource mobilisation, coordination,

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negotiation, partnership building, and M&E, so that this unit could play its central role in combating desertification/SLM and resource mobilization. In the case of MOPIC, there would need to be im-provements in coordination with other line ministries (reviewing coordination channels, procedures, human capacities), building staff capacity in M&E and, most importantly, reviewing the disbursement procedures for loans, to simplify them and avoid lengthy delays.

2- Strengthening the NCCD as a main coordination platform for SLM and desertification project im-plementation by revisiting the NCCD mandates; reviewing NCCD membership including proper job descriptions/qualifications; allocating financial resources for the NCCD to operate; designing a com-munications strategy for the NCCD to better interact with stakeholders; developing an NCCD work plan with short and long term objectives, and forming working groups with clear tasks and targets; and, capacity building of NCCD members, especially the Focal Point Unit, in aspects of NCCD opera-tions, such as preparing agendas, reporting, following up, taking minutes of meetings, and setting targets.

3- Strengthening capacity and addressing institutional issues of other line ministries and stakehold-ers with key roles in resource mobilisation and project implementation. This would include capacity building of key MOA staff in M&E and participatory planning tools, and assessing how to build syner-gies and reduce conflicts of interest with other agencies such as NCARE; assessing how to improve coordination among MOPIC, MOA and MOSD; strengthening coordination between local and nation-al government (the NCCD can play a catalytic role) in order to ensure an adequate flow of information and the translation of local needs into national programmes; building local governments’ capacity in M&E and participatory planning, and improving transparency in the allocation of resources; and, working with semi-governmental organisations, and NGOs in participatory approaches to natural resource management.

Priority/Timeline: Institutional strengthening of MOE and MOPIC and of the NCCD are high priorities and should be completed during the first year. These institutions must have the capacity to manage and implement JNAP. Institutional building of other key line ministries and stakeholders is a medium priority.

Financing: These activities can be financed through the internal budgets of each institution and through co-financing with interested multilateral and bilateral agencies. IFS anticipated the level of funding to be US$600,000.

Implementation Modalities: It was recommended by IFS that the NCCD sub-divide these activities into modules according to the nature of the capacity building activities concerned. The modules could then be supported by specialised consultants and, where possible, be carried out in-house. The insti-tutions concerned should work together to maximise synergies and leverage resources.

Output 1.3: Harmonised Policy Making and Implementation of SLM Initiatives

Rationale: A major finding of the analysis of Jordan’s policy-making and planning frameworks is that, although SLM principles are integrated into numerous government policies, there seem to be few linkages among these policies. Consequently, there has been little opportunity for synergies and leveraging during implementation. Levels of implementation differ from policy to policy and there is limited monitoring and evaluation of their impacts on SLM. The NCCD could support the design of a national cross-sectoral SLM strategy that would undertake the following:

1- Provide opportunities for streamlining policies, removing inconsistencies and integrating SLM into more sectors, such as poverty alleviation;

2- Provide opportunities to promote SLM in one package of initiatives implemented under one um-brella programme. Economic tools such as cost-benefit analysis could bring this to the fore during budget negotiations and the elaboration of executive programmes; and

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3- Allow effective monitoring and evaluation of programme impacts on SLM.

Proposed Activities: Major activities under this output would include:

1- Developing an SLM umbrella programme that integrates related initiatives from different sectors, including JNAP projects, through: meetings organised by the NCCD with the major line ministries responsible for relevant strategies to initiate the harmonisation process; consolidation of similar overlapping activities in different strategies (such as water demand reduction measures in both water and population strategies); the review of strategies with insufficient SLM mainstreaming, such as those for poverty reduction, and integration of SLM into these strategies where appropriate (this would require close coordination between sectoral ministries and the support of SLM technical and policy experts); and, the aggregation into a common umbrella programme of SLM-related activities including JNAP projects endorsed by the Cabinet (MOPIC would have an important role in integrat-ing the umbrella programme or its priority activities for the relevant institutions into the 2010–2012 Executive Programme that is already being prepared.

2- Undertaking a cost benefit analysis of the programme to support mainstreaming and justify funding (as an urgent component); and

3- Devising a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) programme with clear indicators for assessing the impacts of measures, in line with and based on the M&E system that MENARID is designing.

Priority/Timeline: This is a high-priority output and would have a central role in the JNAP. If properly implemented, it would allow significant resource flows to the implementation of SLM projects. Inte-gration activities should be completed within the next six months, to ensure that the SLM umbrella programme is incorporated into the next executive programme.

Financing: These activities could be supported by external partners, including the GM, which has expressed interest in supporting an SLM umbrella programme. World Bank, with its experience and interest in cost benefit analysis studies and IFAD (together with the GM) could support development of the M&E system. The expected level of funding needed is US$450,000.

Implementation Modalities: The NCCD should be the coordination body for implementing these ac-tivities. It should arrange a meeting to initiate the mainstreaming exercise in close coordination with the GM. It should call on external assistance to develop the TORs and should outsource the cost benefit analysis study. The M&E system could be developed as part of the mainstreaming exercise in coordination with the GM/IFAD.

Output 1.4: Decision Makers Enhanced Awareness of the Importance of SLM

Rationale: The government has launched major judicial, legal, financial, and infrastructure reforms, but these are not properly linked to SLM. It is important that decision-makers understand these link-ages and how SLM is related to local development, poverty alleviation, and sustainability. As a result, they would be more likely to increase budgets for SLM activities.

Proposed Activities: Key activities for this output include:

1- Designing and preparing materials for key decision-makers, showing the linkages between SLM and economic development, and what land degradation costs the country’s economy;

2- Organising awareness sessions with identified decision-makers;

3- Revising materials, based on feedback and review of results’ indicators, and assessing whether or not attitudes have changed; and

4- Seeking NGOs’ support in putting pressure on decision-makers, and involving NGOs as active partners in the process.

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Priority/Timeline: This output is of high priority as it supports SLM mainstreaming and complements Output 1.3.

Financing: World Bank could finance a land degradation cost study (in parallel with the cost benefit analysis for Output 1.3), as it already conducts such studies as a prioritisation and mainstreaming tool in the Middle East and North Africa region. Other interested partners may finance awareness raising sessions and materials, such as UNDP and GIZ. The expected level of funding needed would be US$300,000.

Implementation Modalities: The NCCD’s awareness campaign may require the production of multi-media and other materials by a partner in advertising. NGOs should be involved in supporting aware-ness raising activities.

Outcome 2: Enhanced Mobilisation and Allocation of Internal Resources

The reforms that were undertaken as National Agenda objectives and translated into measures in the 2007–2009 Executive Programme included fiscal, financial, and budgeting reforms that would sup-port resource mobilisation. The IFS recommended measures that would support resource allocation for SLM. These would include:

1- Capacity building of the JNAP project implementation agencies;

2- Capacity building of local authorities, to enhance the mobilisation of local resources; and

3- Promotion of private sector investment in SLM activities, targeting private companies through their CSR policies.

Output 2.1: Stakeholders’ Enhanced Capacity in Budget Preparation and Implementation

Rationale: Following an IFS review of 12 institutions relevant to SLM, it was concluded that staff at these institutions needed training in priority setting, budget preparation and programme/project implementation, in order to increase the efficient disbursement of resources.

Proposed Activities: Activities for this output include:

1- Conducting a rapid needs assessment of staff at the identified institutions so that training can be tailored to the needs of each institution;

2- Developing TORs for training consultancy specialised in budget setting and implementation to develop training materials based on identified needs; and

3- Implementing training sessions and monitoring their effectiveness through performance indica-tors.

Priority/Timeline: This activity is of medium priority, as it does not significantly influence the integra-tion of SLM into the next Executive Programme.

Financing: Resources for this activity could be sought from external partners interested in capacity building and training support, such as the UNDP. The expected level of funding needed is US$300,000.

Implementation Modalities: The NCCD is well positioned to lead this cross-sectoral activity involving several agencies, and to initiate the rapid needs assessment. It could do so largely through internal resources and in-kind contribution of TOR preparation for the training consultant.

Output 2.2: Local Authorities’ Enhanced Capacity in Raising Funds for SLM

Through their local development plans, local authorities can be an important platform for financing SLM activities. Their financial autonomy allows them to mobilise resources for SLM, as long as they have the necessary capacities and tools. These are largely lacking in many municipalities, however, which hinders the effective disbursement of resources at the local level.

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Proposed Activities: Proposed activities for this output include:

1- Preparing TORs for a consultancy to design and implement a training programme on preparing local development plans that integrate SLM principles;

2- Training municipalities on programme/project implementation, to enhance the use of funds; and

3- Increasing MOMA’s awareness of SLM’s importance, to facilitate acceptance of municipal budget requests.

Priority/Timeline: This activity is of medium priority.

Financing: External partners that could support sustainable local development plans and implemen-tation include GIZ, CIDA, UNDP, and SIDA. The expected level of funding needed is US$1.5 million.

Implementation Modalities: To demonstrate the great importance of this activity, it would be oppor-tunate for MOMA to take the lead, with the MOE on sustainable development issues, and in coordi-nation with an external partner on TORs for the training consultant. The NCCD will play an important role in supporting MOMA.

Output 2.3: Increased Use of Local and International Private Funds in SLM

Rationale: The private sector can play an important role in supporting SLM activities. As well as the proposed legal reforms suggested under Output 1.1, CSR or other mechanisms would also encour-age private sector contributions to environmental initiatives. A number of companies in Jordan al-ready support these initiatives and meet CSR targets. Jordan should also benefit from the increasing trend for biodiversity and ecosystem financing, as local and international private and financial sectors understand more about the benefits of investing in conservation.

Proposed Activities: Key activities for this output include:

1- Surveying local and international private companies, including banks, and inquiring about their CSR and environmental policies and other elements that could indicate an interest in supporting such initiatives;

2- Ranking these companies in order of their likelihood of supporting SLM initiatives, based on crite-ria such as presence of CSR policies and potential level of funding that could be secured;

3- Including these companies as possible sources of financing for SLM initiatives under the umbrella programme or local development plans; and

4- Developing materials targeted to the private sector, emphasising the importance of investing in SLM activities and mobilising resources.

Priority/Timeline: This output is of medium priority. Although it could provide additional sources of financing from the private sector, the current financial markets, and other parameters may make it inappropriate to initiate these activities during the first year of JNAP implementation.

Financing: This activity could be financed largely from internal resources, particularly in association with the Department of Statistics for the company survey. Promotional materials for attracting pri-vate financing could be developed in partnership with UNEP’s Finance Initiative (www.unepfi.org). The expected level of funding needed is US$75,000.

Implementation Modalities: The NCCD could coordinate participation of the Department of Statistics, Ministry of Industry, Chamber of Commerce, and other parties in this initiative. Involving a strong and knowledgeable external partner such as the UNEP FI programme would be instrumental to achieving results.

Outcome 3: Enhanced Mobilisation of External Resources

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External sources provide significant financing for SLM activities. International donors are very active in Jordan, and platforms for coordination between government and donors already exist. Outputs that could enhance cooperation with donors and facilitate funding streams from external partners would include:

1- Enhancing local stakeholders’ knowledge of donor modalities, country strategy preparation, and new potential international partners; and

2- Supporting MOPIC’s enhancement of the effectiveness of donor-government coordination mech-anisms.

Output 3.1: Local Stakeholders’ Enhanced Knowledge of External Funding Sources

Rationale: Despite the active role of external donors and agencies in Jordan, the IFS identified a sig-nificant need to build local stakeholders’ capacity to understand donors’ modalities for mobilising and disbursing financing for programmes/projects. Such capacity building would facilitate the allo-cation and use of external resources, thereby contributing to the implementation of JNAP.


1- Developing an online database of external funding partners, using Figure 7.1 (Potential Domestic Donor Funding Sources for SLM) and Figure 7.2 (Potential International Donor Funding Sources for SLM) as a basis; and,

2- Organising training programmes on donor modalities and procedures, the setting of country strat-egies, and new potential partners. An understanding of donor programming cycles is very important for integrating SLM into donors’ priorities.

Priority/Timeline: This is a medium priority activity, because there is already a large donor presence in Jordan. The NCCD should coordinate this activity.

Financing: Database preparation could be financed through GEF and IFAD’s MIS project, if there are sufficient resources. The expected level of funding needed is US$225,000.

Implementation Modalities: The NCCD should integrate development of the donor database with the GEF/IFAD MIS project. GM’s experience of the Financial Information Engine on Land Degradation (FIELD) could be of benefit to the development of Jordan‘s own version. The NCCD should also in-volve external partners in developing training programmes on donor modalities for local stakehold-ers, who should include central government representatives and local NGO representatives.

Output 3.2: Enhanced Government Effectiveness in Donor Coordination

Rationale: MOPIC needs capacity building in coordination in order to improve resource mobilisation and partnerships (such as through the GDCWG). This would also support the NCCD’s efforts to allo-cate external sources of funding.

Proposed Activities: Key activities for this output would include:

1- Reviewing the Government-Donor Coordination Working Group’s (GDCWG) internal procedures (mandates, membership, communication tools, agenda setting, reporting, and follow-up);

2- Updating these procedures and developing tools to enhance the effectiveness of the GDCWG’s meetings, such as focused discussion papers, presentations, follow-up, and communication mecha-nisms;

3- Establishing coordination procedures between the NCCD and the GDCWG, to ensure effective communication and integration of SLM topics at meetings; and

4- Organising a special meeting to discuss the SLM umbrella programme described under Outcome

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1 and to promote external donors’ participation in its implementation.

Priority/Timeline: This is a high-priority output as it supports the mainstreaming of SLM into donors’ agendas and supports the NCCD’s efforts.

Financing: This activity can be financed largely through internal resources, in partnership with the GDCWG. The GM could support the revision of mandates and procedures for the GDCWG. The ex-pected level of funding needed is US$50,000.

Implementation Modalities: MOPIC should work with the GM to review coordination modalities and procedures, and should organise a GDCWG meeting to discuss implementation of this output.

Outcome 4: Enhanced Mobilisation of Innovative Resources, The IFS identified some innovative sources of financing to support SLM initiatives. These are summarised in Section 7.7 and include revolving funds, particularly for poverty alleviation schemes in rural areas; debt swaps to co-finance SLM programmes; and, climate change funding sources.

Output 4.1: Use of Revolving Funds to Support SLM Activities

Rationale: Revolving funds are quite commonly used in Jordan and seem to be supporting com-munities in poor areas according to reports from stakeholders during the preparation of the IFS. These mechanisms could be used to channel resources towards poor communities to benefit SLM, and could become a sustainable source of income in rural areas where SLM and poverty alleviation projects are implemented.

Proposed Activities: Activities for this output would include:

1- Reviewing existing experience with revolving funds in Jordan, to draw lessons learned and recom-mendations;

2- Identifying key areas for the establishment of revolving funds, based on SLM and poverty allevia-tion target regions; and

3- Developing the use of revolving funds and monitoring their effectiveness.

Priority/Timeline: This output is of low priority and could be initiated once other processes for mobi-lising internal and external resources are under way.

Financing: This output could be supported by internal resources and external partners interested in sustainable development and poverty alleviation, such as USAID, GTZ and UNDP. The estimated level of funding would be US$7.5 million, including for financing the revolving funds.

Implementation Modalities: The NCCD should discuss this output with its members to identify initia-tives in Jordan that have benefited from revolving funds. This stocktaking information could provide lessons learned and procedures for establishing revolving funds. Priority areas for such mechanisms should also be identified, based on socio-economic conditions and poverty levels. Important stake-holders for participation in this output are MOE, MOA, MOSD, MOWI, and local communities.

Output 4.2: Use of Debt Swaps to Co-finance SLM Activities

Rationale: Debt swaps are a well-understood mechanism in Jordan, used by MOPIC and MOF through various agencies, and could be increasingly adopted to provide support to SLM and desertification activities, thereby generating additional resources.

Proposed Activities: Proposed activities for this output would include:

1- Reviewing existing experiences with debt swaps in Jordan, to draw lessons learned and recom-mendations;

2- Identifying SLM and desertification projects that could benefit from debt swaps, under the SLM umbrella programme; and

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3- Formulating recommendations and initiate the debt swap process to complement internal and external funds under the umbrella programme.

Priority/Timeline: This is a high priority activity because it has strong potential for financing the um-brella programme.

Financing: This activity could be implemented primarily through internal resources. The expected level of funding needed is US$75,000.

Implementation Modalities: MOPIC should coordinate implementation of this output with MOF and MOE. A special NCCD sub-committee could be created to follow up and seek resources from debt swaps to implement conservation measures under the umbrella programme to be integrated into the 2013-2015 Executive Programme.

Output 4.3: Use of Financing Opportunities from Climate Change Mechanisms

Rationale: The UNFCCC has several financing mechanisms that could be used to support SLM activi-ties. Those most relevant to Jordan include the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), the Adaptation Fund (AF), and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Voluntary mechanisms offer additional financing opportunities, but all of these mechanisms are currently underused. Stakeholders’ aware-ness of the SCCF and the Adaptation Fund should be enhanced, so that they can explore ways of us-ing these funds for SLM activities and for co-financing relevant programmes/projects under the SLM umbrella programme.


1- Reviewing procedures for the SCCF and the AF, and identifying suitable SLM projects;

2- Conducting awareness sessions on the opportunities for SLM provided by the CDM, including for reforestation and water efficiency projects, and supporting preparation of at least one CDM project in a relevant area;

3- Providing technical training on how to implement CDM projects, for both the public and the pri-vate sectors; and

4- Reviewing procedures for voluntary carbon credits and conducting awareness sessions so that stakeholders, including MOE and MOA, can benefit from these credits, particularly for rangeland re-habilitation projects.

Priority/Timeline: This is a high priority output as carbon-related funds are very likely to provide ben-efits through co-financing. Since obtaining these resources could be time-consuming, the process should be initiated early.

Financing: Several private sector stakeholders are very active in this field, particularly project de-velopers, who have an interest in supporting these activities as this helps market their businesses. They therefore represent an important potential source of financing for this output. Other sources of financing could be UNDP and World Bank that are increasingly active in carbon financing. In addition, the GM’s Strategic Programme on Climate Change and Environmental Services could provide sup-port. The expected level of funding needed is US$1.5 million, depending on the project developers’ role and whether or not it finances a CDM cycle, for example.

Implementation Modalities: The NCCD should coordinate implementation of this output with the UNFCCC Focal Point Unit at the MOE to identify a suitable developer interested in providing the nec-essary technical inputs for the proposed activities. The NCCD should also coordinate with the GM’s Strategic Programme on Climate Change and Environmental Services for support to this process.

Output 4.4: Use of the Environment Compensation Fund

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Rationale: The ECF for rehabilitating rangeland areas is a major potential source of financing for SLM activities (see Section 7.5).

Proposed Activities: Activities for this output could include:

1- Reviewing the ECF’s procedures and coordinating with the Environmental Compensation Unit (ECU);

2- Identifying opportunities for eligible SLM activities, particularly within the umbrella programme; and

3- The submission of funding applications.

Priority/Timeline: This is a high priority output as the ECU is disbursing funds and provided a signifi-cant opportunity for co-financing SLM activities.

Financing: This output could be financed principally from in-kind internal resources. The GM could provide such contributions to the development of proposals for submission to the ECU. The expected level of funding needed is US$15,000.

Implementation Modalities: The NCCD should coordinate with the ECF to understand its procedures and requirements. NCCD members should agree which programmes to propose for co-financing from the ECF. The GM could provide in-kind support to this process.

Output 4.5: Use of the Jordan Environment Fund

Rationale: JEF, which was launched in July 2011, will form a significant contribution to environmental and SLM projects (see Section 7.5).

Proposed Activities: Activities for this output would include establishing links with JEF and making submissions for SLM projects in JNAP.

Priority/Timeline: This output is of high priority, as it will provide significant support for allocating resources for SLM activities.

Financing: This output would require mostly in-kind internal resources for implementation. The GM can support this process. The expected level of funding needed is US$50,000.

Implementation Modalities: The NCCD should lead implementation of this activity in close coordina-tion with civil society organisations and NGOs, which could act as pressure groups.

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APPENDIX 3

Mainstreaming Plan

1. Purpose of the Mainstreaming ReportThis report aims to outline some necessary actions that would be required to raise the importance of sustainable land management (SLM) measures in order to help combat desertification and to support Jordan’s obligations to the UNCCD.

Section 2 outlines the key recommendations of the Final Integrated Investment Framework (IIF) for SLM document that was produced in December 2013.

Subsequently, some key proposals for mainstreaming SLM are set out in Section 3 with broad tasks or activities defined for action. In general, these should be pursued or initiated primarily by the Ministry of Environment (MOE), Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC), and by the Ministry of Finance (MOF).

2. The Integrated Investment Framework for SLMThe IIF placed an emphasis on adopting an overall SLM approach for Jordan’s National Action Plan for Desertification (JNAP), which will be revised during 2014. SLM leads to the use of natural resources in ways that would not have negative effects on the productivity of land. In so doing it aims to integrate the management of land, water, biodiversity, and other environmental resources so as to meet human needs, whilst sustaining environmental and ecological conditions and social livelihoods. Social and economic conditions (especially poverty and lack of food security) have had a major impact on the process and impact of desertification.

Mainstreaming SLM into national policies and strategies, and the regulatory, planning, and budgetary processes operating in Jordan would be instrumental in securing resources for UNCCD implementation. Furthermore, it is clearly important that this is done in conjunction with efforts to raise the profile and priority of SLM in pursuing Jordan’s obligations to the other two Rio Conventions, namely the CBD and UNFCCC.

The Integrated Financing Strategy (prepared in 2008) followed a shift in approach to donor financing that focused on mainstreaming desertification issues into national development programming processes. It aimed to support resource mobilisation for SLM as a means to combat land degradation. Thus, SLM and combating desertification were seen as part of the same scope, with poverty alleviation as one critical tool with which to mitigate land degradation.

The IIF set out a number of recommendations, which are relevant to the mainstreaming of SLM, with the most important set out below.

The Need for a National Policy on SLM: Whilst there are a range of national sectoral strategies, programmes and master plans, there is no integrated policy framework for SLM in Jordan. Furthermore, national strategies and plans are not consistent and therefore do not benefit from potential synergies between similar activities that are implemented by different agencies. An increasingly evident example of this in terms of funding for environmental programmes is the lack of coordination between projects proposed as part of the country’s efforts to reverse climate change, support biodiversity, and to combat desertification (as relevant to obligations under the UNFCCC, CBD, and UNCCD, respectively).

There is a need for a clear national policy on SLM and its integration with land use planning in the country. A national policy statement should be linked to the national five-year plans and be relevant

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to Jordan’s obligations to UNCCD, UNFCC, and CBD. This would help to provide a cohesive national approach for SLM and to provide consistency throughout national sectoral plans and policies, as well as guidance for national budgeting priorities.

Promoting Funding for SLM Initiatives: The government ministries have their own internal funding resources and links to donor agencies, all of which could be oriented more towards SLM projects. Increasing the importance of desertification projects could be achieved by linking them directly to SLM themes as well as to poverty alleviation measures. This would provide a broader topic spectrum that is more relevant to donor agency funding objectives. It would also attract greater priority from government budgetary allocations, especially if there were direct project links to water management and agriculture.

Integrating Jordan’s Obligations to the Three Rio Conventions: The prime responsibility for the technical coordination of SLM and desertification projects would rest with the MOE and its responsibilities in fulfilling Jordan’s Rio Convention obligations. Strengthening the link between Jordan’s requirements to UNCCD with those for CBD and UNFCC would help to improve the case for SLM funding. The setting up of an agency or national environmental forum to support the country’s fulfillment of all three Rio Conventions would raise the importance of SLM in the national and political consciousness. This would also help to avoid the duplication of project functions and wastage of funding. The issue of overlapping responsibilities for project implementation at either the national or local project level has continued to be critical and remains problematic. Thus, government ministries and other project implementing agencies need to have clear roles and financial mandates for carrying out SLM projects.

Strengthening Links Between SLM and Poverty Alleviation: National policies for SLM projects aiming to combat desertification should incorporate more emphasis on poverty alleviation. This would help to raise the profile of SLM and land degradation projects with international and domestic donor funding agencies. The Ministry of Social Development (MOSD) should play a key role in incorporating poverty alleviation more into environmental projects and therefore strengthening the link between livelihood improvements and promoting SLM. Similarly, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MOTA) have an important role in promoting ecotourism, natural resources conservation, and alternative livelihoods in the tourism sector.

Insufficient Public Sector Capacity to Promote SLM: Staff training in government agencies has not been sufficient to lead efforts to promote SLM and to combat desertification. This is especially so with regards to pursuing collaborative efforts with universities and research institutions. This has been recognised by the MOE but also applies to other ministries. This situation underlines the need to allocate more resources to capacity building and upgrading the institutional set-up for combating desertification. There is also a lack of awareness of the importance of SLM, at all public sector levels.

Weak Private Sector Investment into SLM: Private sector funding and support for SLM is at an embryonic level in Jordan. The involvement of the private sector in environmental projects could be enhanced if the conditions were made more attractive, especially if the legal and regulatory frameworks, and tax incentives, encouraged this. The private sector could also offer more support, in terms of both financial assistance and skills, to environmental projects. It should be part of a broader-based partnership approach to SLM projects that should also include the public sector and NGO/community organisations.

3. Proposals for Mainstreaming SLM

3.1 Improving the Legal Framework for SLM There are several constraints in the enabling environment that hinder resource mobilisation for SLM. In order to allocate resources for SLM effectively, it is important to secure an appropriate legal and institutional environment that can help the flow and effectiveness of funding. The following are

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actions that need to be undertaken to address some of the shortcomings in this respect as relevant to SLM:

• Updating the Environmental Law (2006) to include polluter-pays principles, strengthening the environmental impact system, incorporating financial incentives to support SLM measures, including the right to claim for environmental damages, and environmental insurance;

• Updating legislation to increase the opportunities for incorporating sustainable development principles, consolidating environmental legislation to remove legal inconsistencies, updating penalty and control systems, and providing incentives for environmental investments; and

• Providing a legislative framework that could allow for environmental/social investments, such as into water efficiency, energy efficiency, environmental conservation, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) measures.

Implementation: Proceeding with legal reforms in the environmental sector would be a high priority action. Whilst it is likely to be a lengthy procedure, it would greatly advance the mainstreaming of SLM. The MOE, as a lead agency, should coordinate with ministries responsible for the necessary legislative reform. This should be done in conjunction with institutions such as MOF, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI), MOTA, investment agencies and NGOs for support in the implementation of reforms.

3.2 Strengthening the Institutional Framework for SLM Institutions, especially governmental ministries, need to increase the capacity for managing and implementing resource mobilisation for SLM. This would include MOE, MOPIC, and MOF, as the main drivers of the environmental and donor funding process; the National Committee for Combating Desertification (NCCD) and stakeholders as the implementing authority for the JNAP in 2014; key line ministries and institutions; and, a national integrating framework for the coordination of Jordan’s obligations to the UNCCD, CBD, and UNFCCC, should it be set up.

The following activities would enable these organisations to be more capable of fulfilling their envisaged roles in SLM and resource mobilisation:

• In the case of the MOE, this would involve capacity building for new staff of the UNCCD Focal Point Unit (as well as for other staff dealing with the other two Rio Convention obligations) that would focus on resource mobilisation, project coordination, negotiation skills, partnership building, and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. This would be important in order to be able to maintain the MOE’s central role in implementing SLM;

• In the case of MOPIC there would need to be improvements in working with other line ministries (such as reviewing coordination channels, operational procedures, human capacity building, and allocation to assignments), building staff capacity in monitoring and evaluation and reviewing the disbursement procedures for loans in order to simplify them and avoid lengthy delays;

• Strengthening the operation of the NCCD as a major coordination platform for SLM project implementation by revisiting the committee’s mandates, improving funding allocations, and operational systems especially in terms of preparing JNAP and implementing the projects;

• Improving the capacity and institutional operations of other line ministries and stakeholders with key roles in resource mobilisation and project implementation. This would include capacity building of staff in all the relevant ministries likely to be dealing with SLM-related projects such as MOA, MWI, MOSD, MOTA, and Ministry of Municipal Affairs (MOMA) and would include the need to strengthen integration, reduce conflicts of interest, improve ministerial cooperation, and increase coordination between local and national government agencies. This would involve capacity building in monitoring and evaluation of project effectiveness, participatory planning, improving transparency in the

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allocation of resources, and working with semi-governmental agencies and NGOs in participatory approaches to SLM; and,

• Integrating Jordan’s obligations to UNCCD with those for CBD and UNFCC as part of an overall SLM funding platform. The setting up of an agency or national environmental forum to coordinate Jordan’s fulfillment of all three Rio Conventions would help to raise the importance of SLM in the national and political consciousness.

Implementation: The strengthening of MOE and MOPIC and of the NCCD are high priorities in order to be able to attain the capacity to manage and implement the new JNAP. These activities could be financed through the internal ministerial budgets and with co-financing with interested multilateral and bilateral agencies. Capacity building could be sub-divided into topic-related modules, which would then be supported by the necessary specialised experts.

3.3 Coordinating Policy Making and the Implementation of SLM Initiatives Whilst SLM proposals are incorporated into government national policies and sector strategies, there seem to be few linkages among these policies. Consequently, there has been little opportunity for synergies during project implementation. An evident example of this in terms of funding for environmental programmes is the lack of coordination between projects designed to fulfill the country’s obligations to the UNFCCC, CBD, and UNCCD.

The following key activities are proposed to tackle this:

• Prepare a clear national policy on SLM and its integration with environmental planning in Jordan. This could be done as part of the national five-year plans in conjunction with a national policy statement on SLM and its relevance to Jordan’s obligations to UNCCD, UNFCC, and CBD. This would help to provide a cohesive national approach to SLM that would support consistency throughout the national sectoral plans and policies, as well as guidance for national budgeting priorities;

• Review national sectoral strategies and master plans (such as for agriculture, rangelands, water, energy, biodiversity, tourism, land use planning, and poverty alleviation) in light of the new national policy for SLM. Recommendations from the reviews would ensure that the updated sectoral strategies would be compatible with the new national SLM policy framework; and,

• Establish a comprehensive and central information database that would be useful for UNCCD, CBD, and UNFCCC project implementation and agree a set of indicators (incorporating environmental and socio-economic factors), which would be used for the monitoring and evaluation of SLM projects.

Implementation: The preparation of a national policy for SLM would be the first action of a high priority set of activities, for which the MOE should be the coordinating body.

3.4 Enhancing the Awareness of the Importance of SLM The importance of SLM and the impact of poverty conditions on land degradation need to be fully disseminated. Decision-makers need to understand these linkages and how SLM must be relevant to local development, poverty alleviation, and environmental resource sustainability. This would help to raise the profile of SLM and increase the prospects for improved funding especially for projects intending to combat desertification. The key activities for this could include:

• Designing and preparing materials for distribution and presentations to key decision-makers, showing the linkages between SLM and economic development, and what land degradation costs the country’s economy;

• Organising awareness sessions with specific decision-making focus groups. Following these meetings, and based on feedback of the discussion groups, there would need to be a review of the results and an assessment of whether attitudes have changed;

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• Seeking NGO support in canvassing decision-makers and involving NGOs as active partners in the process; and,

• Undertaking an environmental awareness campaign, which informs the public about the need for SLM in tackling land degradation.

Implementation: This programme would make an important contribution to raising the profile of SLM and helping to bring it into the mainstream of the environmental consciousness in Jordan. It should be led by the MOE and implemented in conjunction with programmes for all three Rio Conventions. The awareness campaign would need the production of multi-media and other materials by a partner in advertising/public relations. NGOs should be involved in supporting awareness raising activities.

3.5 Increasing the Mobilisation and Allocation of Resources for SLMGiven the importance of SLM in the context of Jordan’s environmental issues and problems, especially in relation to water resources, there is a need to increase the proportion of financing from donor agencies and from the public sector budget. In the case of domestic funding sources, the enhanced utilisation of the Environmental Compensation Fund and the Jordan Environment Fund would be the prime examples of the need to make best use of existing funding allocations.

This programme would include the following principal activities in three subject areas:

Capacity Building on SLM Budgetary Importance for Project Implementation Agencies: Initially, there would be a needs assessment of staff at the key SLM implementation institutions, such as the MOE, MOA, MWI, MOPIC, and MOF, on the importance of SLM in budget resources, budget preparation and project implementation. Training programmes would follow to develop this message with the monitoring of their effectiveness through performance indicators.

Implementation: The MOE and NCCD could take the lead in this cross-sectoral activity that would involve several agencies, and should initiate the staff needs assessment.

Capacity Building of Local Authorities to Enhance the Use and Mobilisation of SLM Resources: This would be undertaken through governorate and municipality local development plans as a basis for funding SLM activities through project implementation. Their financial autonomy would enable them to mobilise resources for SLM, as long as they have the necessary capacities and tools to do so. To this end, there would need to be training programmes on the importance of integrating SLM principles into the preparation and implementation of local development plans, and also on the utilisation of resource funding for this. This would need to involve the active participation of MOMA in order to facilitate the acceptance of municipal budget requests.

Implementation: MOMA would need to take the lead in this initiative with contributions from the MOE on sustainable development issues and in conjunction with specialist expertise for the training programmes.

Increasing the Mobilisation of Donor Resources for SLM Projects: International donors in particular, as well as some domestic donor sources, are active in financing SLM activities in Jordan. This activity area would focus on increasing local stakeholders’ knowledge of donor operations, donor programming cycles, country strategy preparation, and new potential international partners for SLM. It would also support the enhancement of MOPIC’s operations in donor-government coordination mechanisms in the environmental sector.

Implementation: This should be driven by the MOE, with a primary role from MOPIC, in conjunction with other key ministries involved in SLM such as MOA, MWI, and MOMA. This would need external partners and expertise to support this programme.

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3.6 Increasing the Role of the Private Sector in SLMThe private sector can play a far greater role in supporting SLM activities. Private sector organisations could offer more assistance to environmental projects in the form of best practice models for SLM compliance, making financial contributions to projects, providing training support (such as in management, technical expertise and research), and also by offering skilled staff to help run projects and community organisations. Companies could offer new technologies and skills for SLM, especially in the fields of water recycling, energy conservation and food production. In addition, they could supply advice on for-profit operations and market conditions, such as for tourism destinations, in order to help defray SLM project costs. Increasing the adoption of CSR would also encourage private sector contributions to environmental initiatives. A number of companies in Jordan already support these initiatives and meet CSR targets and this situation should be built upon.

The notion of ensuring that SLM and poverty-related issues for part of the criteria for providing credit and loans has long been an integral part of micro-lending services. However, the concept of integrating SLM principles into mainstream bank lending has not taken root. In Jordan’s case, the prospects for effectively implementing SLM on a broader basis could receive a major boost if bank loan criteria could incorporate environmental conditions and potential impacts into project development. This could have a particularly important effect for the environmental remediation and mitigation of mining activities, for example, or indeed on water use for specific projects.

The key activities for this aspect of mainstreaming SLM would include the following activities:

• Surveying local and international private companies and inquiring about their CSR and environmental policies, as well as other activities that could demonstrate an interest in supporting such initiatives;

• Assessing private sector interest in supporting SLM and then contacting the most responsive of these companies in order to attract possible sources of financing for SLM initiatives;

• Undertaking a survey of banks and financial lending organisations to investigate the prospects for incorporating SLM principles into loans and credit facilities. Contacting the MOF to establish the prospects for supporting this approach; and,

• Developing materials targeted to the private sector, which emphasize the importance of investing in SLM activities and mobilising resources.

Implementation: This activity could provide additional sources of financing and project support from the private sector and could at least raise the profile and importance of SLM within the private sector. This work could be undertaken jointly by MOE and MOPIC, in conjunction with the Ministry of Industry, Chamber of Commerce, and private sector associations.

3.7 Enhancing the Use of Innovative ResourcesThere are many innovative sources of funding that could be used for SLM projects. Many of these are set out in the Final IIF report (in Section 7.7) with some of those having already been adopted in Jordan. In summary, the most important of these include the following:

• Using debt swaps to co-finance SLM activities by exchanging foreign debt, at a discount, for local development or investment projects;

• The use of financing opportunities from climate change mechanisms such as the climate change adaptation and mitigation funding sources;

• Financial incentives for water management and energy consumption, such as the application of scaled tariffs and taxes and varying this according to domestic, agricultural or commercial use;

• Linking general taxation measures to property size, car use and engine size, as well as to other energy saving measures in order to relate financial costs to potential environmental impacts, and

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using some of the resultant tax receipts for nature conservation, for example;

• The adoption of charging systems and entry fees for attractions and tourism destinations, for example, in order to support nature conservation initiatives;

• Charging penalties for illegal activities in order to provide a disincentive for environmentally damaging activities with the money levied being used to fund clean-ups, site restoration and, more broadly, to support environmental projects (perhaps most evidently in relation to mining activities);

• Public subsidy or payment schemes which would support environmental conservation or protection such as for conservation easements, farmland set-asides and co-financed investments for environmentally sustainable projects; and,

• Eco-labeling and the certification of products and services according to certain environmentally sustainable standards.

The key activities that could help to promote SLM in this area, and consequently to channel resources into poor communities, environmental conservation, and into combating desertification, would include:

• Reviewing the existing experience with these and other innovative funding sources and ascertaining lessons learned and setting out recommendations for their use;

• Identifying the key areas within innovative sources of funding that could be used most effectively in Jordan for pursuing SLM principles and poverty alleviation goals within projects;

• Developing and implementing case studies for SLM projects that use innovative funding sources; and,

• In the case of the use of climate change funds, there should be awareness sessions conducted on the opportunities for SLM provided by the available resources, technical training on how to attract these funds and to implement projects with them, and reviewing the procedures for voluntary carbon credits and disseminating information on them so that stakeholders can benefit from these credits.

Implementation: The MOE and NCCD should pursue the examination of the use of innovative sources of funding and identify which would be most applicable for adoption in Jordan, in conjunction with MOPIC, MOSD, MOA, MOF, MWI, and other relevant ministries. Research into the use of these resources should be undertaken jointly with the national committees for CBD and FCCC.

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APPENDIX 4IIF Action Plan Report

1. Purpose of the Action PlanThis report outlines a series of actions that should be undertaken in 2014 in order to prepare Jordan’s National Action Plan for Desertification (JNAP) and to provide the foundation for the implementation of priority projects that were set out in the Integrated Investment Framework (IIF) for Sustainable Land Management (SLM).

2. The IIF for SLMThe IIF placed an emphasis on adopting an overall SLM approach for the new JNAP, which will be revised this year. SLM leads to the use of natural resources in ways that would not have negative effects on the productivity of land. In doing so, it aims to integrate the management of land, water, biodiversity and other environmental resources so as to meet human needs, whilst sustaining environmental and ecological conditions and social livelihoods. Social and economic conditions (especially poverty and lack of food security) have had a major impact on the process and impact of desertification.

The IIF is intended to fulfill the following objectives:

• To update the situation in Jordan with regards to desertification and SLM following the first JNAP, which was prepared in 2006. This has included an update of progress on project implementation for that first plan;

• To review the conditions since the preparation of the Integrated Finance Strategy (IFS) in December 2008. The IFS aimed to provide a comprehensive and coordinated approach to financing and project implementation that would combat desertification and promote SLM, and in so doing to provide a more stable investment climate for this work in Jordan; and,

• To provide a firm basis for work on the next JNAP, as well as financing opportunities for SLM, in response to the country’s obligations to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

3. Implementation of Priority Actions

3.1 Revision to JNAPA new JNAP would be the principal implementation mechanism for fulfilling Jordan’s continuing obligations to the UNCCD. It is understood that a project manager for the preparation of the revised plan has been appointed by the Ministry of Environment (MOE) UNCCD Focal Point and is believed to have started on this work, or will shortly do so. It’s anticipated that the preparation of the JNAP will be completed by the end of this year and will set out SLM and desertification projects that need to be implemented during a ten-year period from 2015-2024.

3.2 NCCD the Key Implementing AgencyThe NCCD, incorporating key stakeholders in the desertification and SLM field, would have the responsibility for implementing the revised JNAP. These stakeholders should be drawn from a mix of government ministries, semi-government agencies/research institutes, NGOs and also, preferably, to incorporate some private sector involvement. Government ministry representation should include the MOE, Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC), Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI), and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs (MOMA). The NCCD is mandated to coordinate desertification and SLM issues in Jordan in order to be able to fulfill the country’s obligations to the UNCCD.

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3.3 Liaison with CBD and UNFCC ImplementationA framework for coordinating Jordan’s obligations to the UNCCD, and its efforts to implement SLM and desertification projects, needs to be established in tandem with those activities undertaken for CBD and UNFCCC. This is discussed in the IIF for SLM in Section 8.1 under ‘Lack of Integrated SLM Policy Network’ and it looks at the possibilities for a national environmental forum, which could coordinate Jordan’s obligations to all three Rio Conventions. This forum or indeed the unification of the three national committees (NCCD, NCBD and NCFCCC), logically within or under the guise of the MOE, would provide a clearer mechanism for coordination work and the identification of national priority areas for SLM.

Given that this integration of Jordan’s obligations to the three Rio Conventions is unlikely to be implemented by the time that a new JNAP has been drafted, it is very important that actions undertaken towards the preparation of a new JNAP are done in liaison and consultation with the other two national coordinating bodies responsible for implementing the conventions for biodiversity and climate change in Jordan. This is necessary not only to avoid the overlap and duplication of projects but also to ensure that there are funding synergies.

3.4 Priority ActivitiesThe following activities are considered to be priorities for the coming year in order to successfully prepare for the revised JNAP. These activities are also set out in an Action Plan Programme in Section 4 of this report.

3.4.1 Establishing the NCCD and Stakeholder CompositionThis activity, being the first key task, would determine the composition of the NCCD. The stakeholders should be drawn from those described in Section 6 of the IIF for SLM with a mix of government ministries, semi-government agencies/research institutes, NGOs and also, preferably, with some private sector involvement. Government ministry representation should include the MOE, MOPIC, MOA, MWI, and MOMA. It is suggested that there could be 12 stakeholders involved in the preparation of the JNAP, under the supervision of the NCCD, with six government ministries, and two each from other stakeholder groups (including the private sector). Donor agencies would have to be closely consulted during the process, perhaps via MOPIC and the Government-Donor Coordination Working Group (GDCWG) meetings. Some NCCD representation could be the subject of a rotational six-month involvement, for example.

3.4.2 Reviewing the Implementation Framework ProjectsThe IIF for SLM has set out more than 30 projects in an Implementation Framework in Section 10.6 that should be considered for the JNAP by NCCD and stakeholders during the preparation process.

The proposed projects are set out for review within the Implementation Framework according to three sub-areas, as follows:

• JNAP 2006 projects, which have not been fully implemented or carried out at all;

• Additional projects proposed by IFS in December 2008 that address some gaps in JNAP implementation constraints; and,

• Some extra projects proposed by the IIF for SLM document that seek to address additional issues.

All of the projects in the IIF for SLM Implementation Framework have been prioritised (and colour-coded accordingly) into high priority (yellow), medium (light brown), and low (blue). The Implementation Framework sets out the project name, the overall programme within which it is set (where relevant), objectives, key activities, the principal expected outputs, an approximate project duration, the key agencies to be involved, estimated budgets and some additional comments on implementation.

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These projects and their information requirements must be reviewed and updated by the NCCD project team according to revised JNAP needs, as discussed and agreed by the stakeholders. This assessment could result in dropping some prospective projects that are considered unnecessary or adding additional projects as required.

3.4.3 Prioritising the ProjectsAs mentioned above in Para 3.4.2, the IIF for SLM Implementation Framework has already prioritised proposed projects into high, medium, and low priority. Once the projects have been reviewed by stakeholders for their relevance, they will then need to be prioritised according to the potential or need for implementation in the next two or three years (high priority), four to seven years (medium), and eight to ten years time (low priority).

This exercise should be done according to a workshop format that includes all the NCCD stakeholders, and perhaps others as determined by the MOE UNCCD Focal Point. Examples of other project prioritisation exercises undertaken for SLM and desertification projects have been described in the IIF for SLM report (see Section 9) and could be used as a basis for undertaking this process. The objective is to rank the revised project list agreed from Action 3.4.2 into high, medium, and low priority categories.

3.4.4 Reviewing the Content of the Priority ProjectsThe detailed content of those projects, which have been selected for high priority implementation by the workshop exercise, should then be revisited. This would include a detailed assessment of cost estimates, objectives, outline activities, expected outputs, project duration, and implementing agencies, and amending them accordingly.

This exercise should also include a review of the Concept Notes that were prepared at the end of last year as part of the IIF for SLM assignment. After the workshop discussion on the Draft IIF that was held in November 2013, the IIF for SLM project team circulated a note on a short list of priority project themes to stakeholders and workshop attendees. This set out a long list of important projects that could be undertaken as priorities together with four criteria for scoring them. The four criteria for assessing their importance were:

• The relevance of the project to the JNAP and SLM;

• The strong possibility of obtaining project funding;

• The likely ease of project implementation; and,

• Potential project effectiveness, which could be replicated elsewhere in Jordan.

Stakeholders were invited to assess the project themes based on these criteria, from which the top three were selected for the development of priority project Concept Notes. Subsequently, Concept Notes were prepared in December 2013 for the top three project themes that were selected on the following subject areas:

• Land Use Planning and Development Control;

• Hima Agricultural and Environmental Management Practice; and,

• Integrated Socio-economic Development of Communities.

The content of the Concept Notes should also be reviewed by NCCD and stakeholders and updated accordingly.

3.4.5 Determining Key Funding SourcesSection 7 of the IIF for SLM covers the potential funding sources for projects. Figure 7.1 (Domestic)

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and Figure 7.2 (International) provide a list of potential donor agencies for environmental and SLM projects. Section 7.7 covers innovative funding sources for SLM that could be applicable in Jordan including a review of Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation funds. Section 7.8 looks at the potential for private sector funding sources.

This information needs to be updated and added to in the context of SLM projects in Jordan. The NCCD and stakeholders should then match the selected priority projects (as revised during Actions 3.4.3 and 3.4.4) to potential funding sources.

3.4.6 Holding Discussions with Potential Funding Agencies Once the initial matching of high priority projects with possible funding sources has been done, there should be communication and discussion with the selected funding agencies to determine which of the selected projects could fit with their funding programmes. This must be undertaken in conjunction with MOPIC and the GDCWG.

3.4.7 Revisions to Priority ProjectsFollowing discussions with potential funding sources there would be greater clarification on what projects could be implemented in the short term. Funding agencies may require changes to the content of the projects and these will have to be reviewed by stakeholders and amended where necessary.

3.4.8 Prepare TORs for Key ProjectsA short list of the most likely projects to be implemented (perhaps the top ten) should be drawn up for which detailed TORs would be prepared for implementation in the next year or two of the JNAP project programme. The TORs must provide the project description and objectives, specific activities, project team expertise requirements, management arrangements, implementation agencies and timescale, and potential funding sources.

3.4.9 Further Canvassing with Potential Funding Agencies Once the TORs have been drafted then these should be used as a discussion base for a second round of meetings and/or workshops with potential donor agencies to discuss project implementation. Project TORs would then be finalised in light of comments. Subsequently, efforts should focus on getting these projects included into funding agency programmes and financing activities. The Implementation Framework and JNAP project programme need to be amended accordingly.

3.4.10 Establish Mechanisms for JNAP Plan Review and M&EIt is essential that the new JNAP, when prepared, be subject to a system of continuous review in order to maintain its relevance. This should be done on an annual basis and updated accordingly. These reviews need to revise the status of specific project implementation and their effectiveness. This would have to include an updated assessment of SLM and desertification conditions in Jordan in order to accurately understand this (see Section 10.5 of the IIF for SLM). In order to accommodate any significant changes, the JNAP should also be re-issued every five years with a continuing ten-year plan horizon. The revision of the plan should incorporate changes to the overall strategy.

Not only would the impact of JNAP projects being implemented have to be assessed, but also the need for future projects, and whether previously programmed projects should be amended or indeed dropped. This would also have a bearing on the review of the overall strategy and whether amendments are needed to this. Similarly, annual reviews would need to assess changes in funding allocations and preferred themes, as well as to review project compatibility with the UNCCD’s ten-year strategies. This JNAP review process would be the prime responsibility of NCCD. Thus, the NCCD will need to establish the requirements for a JNAP review and update, and also to determine the basis

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for monitoring and evaluating the projects as they are implemented (perhaps on a mid-term and final evaluation basis). This is covered in the IIF for SLM in Sections 10.4 and 10.5.

3.4.11 Preparation and Finalisation of JNAPChanges to the JNAP document and its implementation programme need to be made following the above actions and in consultation with stakeholders. It is assumed that the preparation of the document would be undertaken on a continuous basis from the early part of 2014 and that the JNAP would be finalised and adopted shortly before the end of the year.

4. IIF Action Plan for Revised JNAP: Outline Work ProgrammeThe key activities described above in Sub-sections 3.4.1 to 3.4.11 are set out in the tabulated programme below.

MONTH (2014) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

KEY IIF ACTIONS Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Establishing the NCCD and Stakeholder Composition

Reviewing the Implementation Framework Projects

Prioritising the Projects

Reviewing the Content of the Priority Projects

Determining Key Funding Sources

Holding Discussions with Potential Funding Agencies

Revisions to Priority Projects

Prepare TORs for Key Projects

Further Canvassing with Potential Funding Agencies

Establish Mechanisms for JNAP Plan Review and M&E

Preparation and Finalisation of JNAP

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APPENDIX 5

BibliographyAn Introduction to Jordan’s Agriculture Sector and Agricultural Policies. Prepared by USAID and the Ministry of Agriculture for the WTO Accession Unit at the Ministry of Industry and Trade (May 1998).

Draft Mandate for Desertification Thematic Research Group. Prepared by UNDP, GEF and the Ministry of Environment (Date Unknown).

National Report on the UNCCD Implementation: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture (2000).

National Rangeland Strategy for Jordan. Prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture (Range Department) (October 2001).

Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity in Jordan (First National Report of The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on the Implementation of Article 6 of the Convention on Biological Diversity). Prepared by the General Corporation for Environmental Protection (December 2001).

Interim Agriculture Law No.44 – August 2002. Ministry of Agriculture.

National Report on the UNCCD Implementation: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Prepared by the General Council for Environmental Protection (2002).

National Agenda (2006-2015). Prepared by the National Agenda Steering Committee (2006).

National Strategy and Action Plan to Combat Desertification. Prepared by the Ministry of the Environment (2006).

Short Paper on the National Committee to Combat Desertification – Members and Mandate. Prepared by the Ministry of Environment (2007)

Third Country Report on the UNCCD Implementation: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Prepared by the Ministry of Environment (2007).

National Capacity Self Assessment for Global Environmental Management (NCSA) – Jordan. Prepared by the Ministry of Environment (2007).

A Way of Life – Al Hima. Prepared by the World Conservation Union and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon for the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (2007).

State of the Environment Report: Executive Summary. Prepared by the Ministry of Environment (2008).

Integrated Financing Strategy for Sustainable Land Management in Jordan. Prepared by Consolidated Consultants and Elard for the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Environment (November 2008).

Integrated Financing Strategy for Sustainable Land Management in Jordan. Prepared by Consolidated Consultants and Elard for the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Environment (December 2008).

National Strategy for Agricultural Development (2009-2014). Prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture (2009).

Fourth National Report on Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity: Jordan. Prepared by the Ministry of Environment (March 2009)

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National Environmental and Economic Development Study for Climate Change: Jordan National Report. Prepared by the Ministry of Environment (May 2010).

Facilitating Financing for Sustainable Forest Management in Small Islands Developing States and Low Forest Cover Countries: Country Case Study for Jordan. Prepared by Indufor for the United Nations Forum on Forests (August 2010).

Jordan Protected Areas Policy Framework. Prepared by Ministry of Environment (October 2010).

Developing Policy-Oriented Research Guidelines, Procedures and Tools to Support Implementing Rio Conventions in Jordan. Prepared by the Science Triangle for Research Training and Management (January 2012 – updated in March 2012).

Incentive and Market Based-Mechanisms to Promote Sustainable Land Management – Framework and Tool to Assess Applicability. Prepared by CATIE for Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (April 2012).

Land Degradation in Jordan – Review of Knowledge Resources (OASIS Country Report 1). Prepared by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas for USAID (2012).

Jordan Badia Ecosystem and Livelihoods Project: Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (Final Report). Prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture (National Centre of Agricultural Research and Extension) (May 2012).

Protected Areas and Climate Change. Prepared by Hussein Al Kisswani for the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (November 2012).

Policy-oriented National Priority Research Topics in Climate Change, Biodiversity and Combating Desertification (2013-2020) (with Guidelines, Procedures, Tools and Potential Funding Sources to Support their Implementation in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan). Prepared by the UNDP/GEF and the Ministry of Environment (February 2013).

The National Climate Change Policy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (2013-2020): Sector Strategic Guidance Framework. Prepared by the Ministry of Environment (2013).

Budget in Brief (for the Fiscal Year 2013). Prepared by the General Budget Department (Ministry of Finance) (April 2013).

Concept Note: National Strategy for Spatial Planning Project. Prepared by UN Habitat (undated).

Small Grants Programme – Country Programme Strategy (for Jordan) for Utilization of OP5 Grant Funds. Draft prepared by GEF (undated).

Draft Rangeland Strategy for Jordan. Prepared by the Rangeland Strategy Committee for the Ministry of Agriculture (May 2013).

Needs Assessment Review of the Impact of the Syrian Crisis on Jordan. Prepared by the United Nations (Host Communities Support Platform) for the Government of Jordan (November 2013).

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