In a concerted effort to bolster municipalities’ capacity to plan and implement climate projects, Clima-Med organised three successive workshops in Jordan from May 19 to 23.
The three-day event was organised under the patronage of His Excellency the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Local Administration, Tawfiq Krishan, represented by H.E. Secretary General of the Ministry of Local Administration for Administrative and Financial Affairs, Dr Nidal Al-Adwan, in the presence of Mr Thibaut Moyer, Vice President of Cooperation at the European Commission in Jordan, Mr Omar Abu Eid, Director of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change Programs at the European Union Delegation of Jordan, Mr Mohammed Malkawi, Media Advisor of the Ministry of Local Administration, representatives from the Ministry of Local Administration, Mayors and representatives from 104 municipalities, in addition to the Greater Amman Municipality and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA).
During the opening remarks, Mr Moyer highlighted the significant contribution of the EU-funded project Clima-Med in Jordan, highlighting the project’s deliverables and concrete successes. He acknowledged the Ministry of Local Administration’s (MOLA) crucial role in collaboration with Clima-Med in extensively guiding cities to mitigate and adapt to Climate Change.
Dr Adwan praised Clima-Med’s role in supporting sustainable energy policies and strategies at the national and local levels. He emphasised the importance of developing well-defined climate action plans tailored to the specific needs of each municipality. He noted that Climate Change is an essential issue in Jordan, underlining its prominence in discussion at the highest levels of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
“Despite the challenges, Jordan has become an example to be followed in the region as a pioneer in the field of climate action. The country has started to prove its potential as a centre for green technology after the launch of the Green Finance Strategy, the first of its kind in the region,” he said, praising His Majesty the King of Jordan’s speech at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in the UAE last year.
The Clima-Med team presented its newly released publications, including the SEACAP Preparation Manual, specially tailored for local authorities and municipality representatives wishing to develop SEACAPs, the Climate Action Strategy (CAS) and its recommendations, and the Communication Guidelines in the SEACAPs, and the Climate Finance Guidebook. It demonstrated how developing SECAPs could enhance green finance opportunities, contribute to sustainable development, and attract investment.
In each of the three sessions, local leaders emphasised the critical need to address climate issues. They highlighted their main challenges in addressing and implementing climate plans, particularly within municipalities with limited financial and technical resources and underlined the need for collective efforts toward mitigation and adaptation. They further discussed practical strategies for addressing the critical issue of climate finance and support for local climate initiatives to apply clean energy with reduced emissions. Local leaders particularly shed light on the importance of raising community awareness when dealing with climate-related actions.
The workshops offered an opportunity for exchanging experiences among participants and transferring international know-how to Jordan in the fields of sustainable energy and climate action in municipalities.
Clima-Med in the Press:
https://alanbatnews.net/article/433996
https://akhbarna.net/article/246389
https://www.ammonnews.net/mobile/article/851086
https://petra.gov.jo/Include/InnerPage.jsp?ID=280931&lang=ar&name=news
https://www.factjo.com/news.aspx?Id=207521