Jordan paves way for US$60 million initiative to adapt to climate change

Songdo, 18 July 2024 – The Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board has today approved a significant new project in Jordan to increase adaptation efforts, supported by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).  

In collaboration with the Government of Jordan and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Jordan Integrated Landscape Management Initiative (JILMI) project will combat the adverse effects of climate change in one of the most water scarce and drought prone countries in the world.  

With a total budget of US$60.5 million, the project has secured US$44.9 million in funding from the Green Climate Fund, supplemented by US$15.6 million from the Government of Jordan and a consortium of NGOs. 

The JILMI project is designed to address multiple climate impacts, in particular water scarcity in the northern Jordan Valley. It adopts an integrated land and water resources management approach, targeting small-scale farming communities in three sites in the north Jordan Valley – the Yarmouk, Amman Zarqa, and Jordan Rift Valley Basins.  

Through a combination of capacity building, climate-resilient agriculture, the restoration of degraded ecosystems, and improved water management, the initiative will boost water security and climate resilience for 750,000 people in the Jordan Valley. Local communities will expect to see improved food security and strengthened governance, all secured through the establishment of a Water Fund that will see industrial water users downstream pay communities upstream for sustainable land stewardship. 

At a ceremonial signing event at the GCF’s headquarters in Songdo, South Korea, government ministers, UN agencies and civil society groups gathered to applaud the new initiative. 

“Jordan is amongst the most water-scarce countries worldwide and the situation is exaggerated by the impacts of climate change. The Jordan Integrated Landscape Management Initiative is a crucial contribution to Jordan and the region’s climate action agenda; it will help the country address the complexity of the climate crisis and meet Jordan’s commitments toward Paris agreement by reducing national emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change, and therefore achieve the agreed National Determined Contributions’’ said His Excellency Dr. Muawieh Khalid Radaideh, Jordan’s Minister of Environment. 

The initiative aims to increase the country's annual water supply by approximately 9 million cubic meters, with a potential cumulative increase of 163 million cubic meters over 25 years. 

With a projected increase in temperatures of 2–4°C by 2070, lower rainfall and evaporation rates of surface waters that already exceed 90%, extreme drought periods are expected to become increasingly frequent under future climate change scenarios. 

“As many countries grapple with the compounding impacts of climate change, nature loss and desertification, integrated approaches are critical to get support flowing to the communities on the frontlines that need help now. While climate impacts intensify globally, this project will not only improve the future resilience of people in Jordan, but also offer important lessons for tackling climate vulnerability across the world,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP’s Executive Director. 

Using a holistic approach, the project will train local communities on new climate-resilient livelihoods such as vegetable gardening, beekeeping, and water-efficient agricultural practices. 

The project demonstrates the critical co-benefits between nature restoration, adaptation and mitigation, exemplified by the innovative establishment of a floating solar power system on the King Abdellah Canal, which aims to both reduce water loss from evaporation while simultaneously producing 1MW of renewable energy.  

Henry Gonzalez, GCF Deputy Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer said: “GCF is proud to partner with UNEP and the Government of Jordan on this important climate adaptation initiative in Jordan. Helping small-scale farmers and local communities respond to water scarcity and other impacts of climate change is a critical area of GCF programming, which aims to increase the climate resilience of the world’s most vulnerable groups.” 

"I am delighted that the GCF has approved JILMI, and am honoured that IUCN is the executing agency. This important initiative will strengthen the country’s paradigm shift towards nature conservation and ecosystem management through integrated landscape management. Furthermore, the project will bolster the climate resilience of vulnerable farmers who play a fundamental role in Jordan's agricultural sector" said Grethel Aguilar, Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

HRH Princess Basma Bint Ali of Jordan and Founder of the Royal Botanical Garden stated: “The status of Jordan’s water resources is alarming, and the agricultural sector is amongst the most affected sectors. JILMI project through Landscape management will strategically contribute towards tackling the complex issues at stake given the water shortage and the well pronounced impacts of climate change.’’ 

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