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AMMAN — The National Centre for Security and Crisis Management (NCSCM) and the UNDP on Wednesday launched two projects on disaster risk reduction (DRR) and its further integration into the ongoing development programmes in Jordan, aiming to “advance DRR activities in the Kingdom through a more holistic and effective management that meets the national socioeconomic priorities”. 

Implemented with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the projects will contribute to the implementation of the new National DRR Strategy, which is currently being developed and integrated among all relevant national strategies. 

Asked about the current DRR context and challenges in Jordan, UNDP sources told The Jordan Times that “the occurrence of natural, biological and technological hazards is relatively low, but given the high population density in the cities and the overstretched capacity of social services and physical infrastructures, even a mild earthquake could have a serious impact”, pointing to rapid unplanned urbanisation, unsustainable water management practices and uncoordinated land use planning as the “main underlying risk drivers in Jordan”.

According to the UN agency, the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) system in the Kingdom can rely on “solid” country assets such as good access to social services, the high level of education of its population, and significant investment in response capacities, skills and equipment, considering that “over the past decade, both the central and local governments have gained a better understanding of disaster risks and have taken proactive steps to strengthen response systems and capacities”.

“There remains, however, limited awareness amongst policymakers and the general population, and investment in preparedness and prevention is limited within several fields with the exception of the public works and water sectors,” the sources continued, noting that in order to achieve the set objectives and goals of the Jordan National DRR Platform and the under-revision strategy for DRR, the NCSCM is working intensively to ensure adequate capacity and common understanding of the fundamentals of DRM and DRR for all stakeholders involved.

The projects were launched in a workshop hosted by NCSCM Deputy Director Adnan Abadi, who noted that the initiatives will contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the National Forum on DRR in Jordan. 

“We are constantly committed to providing all the necessary support in order to strengthen the resilience of societies to cope with crises,” UNDP Resident Representative Majida Al Assaf said during the launching ceremony, highlighting the programme’s mission to “ensure a secure and stable national environment”.

For his part, SDC representative Nayef Khoury stressed: “The importance of the cooperation with NCSCM and the creation of strategic partnerships between the relevant international organisations in the field of DRR”.

AMMAN — For the first time in three decades, authorities have released hundreds of sand partridges into the wild in an attempt to reverse a declining trend of the game species endemic to Jordan, according to a conservationist.

On Tuesday, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) released 600 sand partridges in various parts of the country, the head of the law enforcement section at the RSCN, Abdul Razzaq Hmoud, said.

A total of 150 birds were released in Dibbeen Forest Reserve during a ceremony held to announce the new initiative, while the rest of the birds were released into different undisclosed locations across the Kingdom.

“The release of the birds seeks to increase the numbers of sand partridges in Jordan, especially since studies show that the bird’s population is declining due to multiple factors,” Hmoud told The Jordan Times.

Jordan banned hunting of sand partridges and chukars in 2016 to protect the dwindling populations of the game birds. The ban, which is effective for three years       across the Kingdom, will expire by the end of next year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Studies indicate that the numbers of chukars and sand partridges in their natural habitat are declining due to several factors; mainly random hunting and the destruction of the birds’ habitats and nests by illegal hunters.

Furthermore, climate change and rising temperatures, which shorten the birds’ mating seasons, also threaten the survival of chukars and sand partridges, according to the RSCN, which has banned the hunting of chukars and sand partridges several times in previous years.

The society underlined that the drop of the birds' population is not only happening in Jordan, but has also been reported across the Mediterranean region, where hunting of chukars and sand partridges has been also banned.

The released sand partridges were secured from a facility supervised by the Royal Court and the Ministry of Agriculture for the reintroduction of indigenous wild bird species in Bergesh Forest in Ajloun Governorate, Hmoud said, noting that more birds will be released in the future.

During the release ceremony, the RSCN also invited hunters to participate in the project. “We invited responsible hunters to take part in the initiative because to sustain such an effort, you need to have hunters on board. Responsible hunters help spread the word and encourage their peers to avoid hunting endangered species and to abide by hunting regulations,” Hmoud highlighted.

Last January, Jordan’s Outdoor Sport Association released 850 partridges and pheasants in the Kingdom’s northern forests with the aim of reversing the decline in their numbers in the wild.

The release involved the fifth and sixth batch of partridges and the first and the second of pheasants.

MAAN — Al Hussein Bin Talal University (AHU) students are hopeful that the recent visit of HRH Crown Prince Hussein to their educational establishment will increase its recognition internationally and locally.

On Monday, Crown Prince toured the campus where he met with hundreds of students and checked on an exhibition displaying the innovative, creative, artistic and academic work of dozens of AHU students.

Abdullah Al Khatab, a business administration freshman who won several international awards in the field of robotics, said that Prince Hussein’s visit was "important" for the university and its students.

“His visit is important to all of us because it shows that he cares about the youth and their dreams,” Khatab told The Jordan Times at the university.

He added that he was also happy to be able “to show the Prince my work" and "hear that he is interested in knowing more about what I do and supporting me”.

Khatab said his future plan is to reach the largest robotics competition in the US as it will help him "further pursue my dream of being recognised at an international level”.

Salsabil Garaleh, who is majoring in English literature but decided to increase her practical skills by enrolling in a course on soap making, said “the Royal visit will surely open new doors for us to aim high”.

“The Prince’s visit was crucial for the students because we were able to share our dreams and future goals with him since he is young and closer to our age,” Garaleh told The Jordan Times following the visit.

“I got to talk to him and explain the kind of soap I am producing and I gave him a package gift of my products," Garaleh Remembered, adding: "he is truly a modest person and I felt that his heart was with us, the students”.

She said that her ambition is to include rare herbs in her soap products, which she named "Al Rawnaq" so she can be able to sell her products internationally.

During the visit, Prince Hussein has urged the students to follow their dreams, saying: “Believe in yourselves; believe in your dreams… Whenever you are hesitant or reluctant, remember these words: be bold; dare to try.”

 AMMAN — Some 81 per cent of Jordanians believe that the recently designated government of Prime Minister Omar Razzaz will be better than the former government, according to a poll.

Eleven per cent of Jordanians believe Razzaz’s government will be the same as the former government, while 3 per cent said it will be worse than its predecessor, NAMA Strategic Intelligence Solutions for researches and polls announced on Tuesday.

On June 20-29, NAMA conducted a poll to measure citizens' expectations of the new government, interviewing 1,524 citizens from across the Kingdom who are above the age of 18.

The prime minister enjoys much more confidence than his Cabinet's members, NAMA’s Chairman Fares Braizat said,  adding that the high expectations will put the government under a test for achievement.

Regarding the level of optimism in the aftermath of the formation of the government, the poll's results showed that 64 per cent are still optimistic about Razzaz, 22 per cent said that they were optimistic, but are disappointed after the formation of the Cabinet,  and 11 per cent said that they were never optimistic about the new prime minister.

The results also show that women are more optimistic (70 per cent) than men (58 per cent), and youth between 18-24 years old have more confidence in him than elderly people.

According to the survey, the family's monthly income has impacted the rates of confidence in the government; as income increases, the level of optimism falls. 

Eighty-six per cent of families whose monthly income does not exceed JD400, 60 per cent of families with an income ranging between JD401 and JD800, and 56 per cent of families whose income is above JD800 said that they were optimistic.

The results also said that citizens with higher education were less confident compared to citizens of secondary education or below.

Fifty-five of the polled citizens with higher education certificates expressed optimism, compared with 69 per cent among people who have secondary school education and 65 per cent for those with a lower level of education.

The most optimistic governorates are Aqaba (71 per cent), Zarqa (70 per cent) and Amman (67 per cent), while the least were Madaba (48) and Jerash (50 per cent), according to the poll.

East Amman residents showed more confidence (70 per cent) than west Amman's (63 per cent).

AMMAN — The National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA) last week held a series of meetings with stakeholders to update the National Framework for the Reduction of Child Labour and the Manual on Applied Measures, which were prepared and approved by the government in 2011.

The meetings served as a platform to discuss the first draft of the updated framework prepared by a technical committee comprising members of the ministries of social development, labour, education and interior, in addition to representatives of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UNICEF. 

Asked about the reasons behind the update, NCFA head of research and studies directorate Mai Sultan stressed the need to adapt the framework to the recent changes in national legislation concerning child labour, pointing to the amendments made to the Juvenile Law in 2014 and to the 2018 draft strategy for children in street situations. 

“We wanted to be aligned with the established policies on child protection, centred on case management as a holistic approach for service providers,” Sultan noted. 

In order to advocate for child labour issues and support the implementation of the draft provisions on child work through education, NCFA has previously worked to reconstitute the National Committee for Child Labour, making it serve as a platform for national dialogue on child labour issues and an engine for policy formulation, legislation reform and advancement. 

In addition, the council established a national institutional mechanism for coordination among partners aimed at ensuring the provision of quality and comprehensive services, defining the roles and responsibilities of all institutions working in this area and implementing transformation mechanisms that protect children from falling into labour exploitation. 

However, child labour rates in the Kingdom have doubled compared with pre-crisis figures, according to the latest national survey on child labour carried out in 2016 by the Centre for Strategic Studies in cooperation with the ILO, the Ministry of Labour and the Department of Statistics. 

Surveying some 20,000 families across 12 governorates and the Zaatari refugee camp, the assessment revealed that 75,982 children in the five to 17 age group were working.

In 2018, the council said it will work on updating the Manual on Applied Measures and on preparing the final draft on the new framework, to later submit it for approval at the Prime Ministry. 

In addition, standard operational procedures will be tested, and further steps will be taken in order to train relevant stakeholders involved in the application of the framework, according to Sultan.

AMMAN — An innovative e-commerce portal connecting Jordan's artists, artisans and handicraft producers was launched on Tuesday, aiming to help these local vendors access new economic opportunities and tell their creations' stories to the public. 

Established by the social enterprise Leaders of Tomorrow, under the patronage of Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Lina Annab, the platform was developed in partnership with Oxfam and the King Hussein Foundation. 

In the presence of EU Ambassador to Jordan Andrea Fontana and UNESCO country representative, Constanza Farina, Annab stated: "Nowadays, when we go to the supermarkets, we notice that 70 to 80 per cent of the products sold are made outside of the Kingdom. However, we have a great wealth of producers here in Jordan, and this is a phenomenon we should all fight in order to boost local production."

In a lively discussion with the platform's executive director Sami Hourani, the minister discussed how Jordan’s cultural and tourism sectors can benefit from such a platform, commending Souq Fann for "helping these businesses grow". 

"Our artisans have incredible gifts to share with the world, and we think anyone who has access to their creations will agree," said young entrepreneur Hourani, adding "while vendors across the Kingdom are all highly-skilled artisans, many have a difficult time marketing and selling their products. Some live far from major cities and markets; some have other responsibilities at work or at home while some haven’t been able to take full advantage of the Internet as a tool to grow their businesses".

He said Souq Fann (or “Art Market” in Arabic) is "a door to new possibilities for these craftspeople's businesses". 

"It gives them access to new markets across the Kingdom and around the world, connecting them with new customers, and increasing their sales," Hourani stated, stressing "at the same time, Souq Fann gives customers around the world a window into the rich history and culture of communities across Jordan".

The user-friendly online platform provides shoppers with a wide variety of the Kingdom's handmade and locally-produced goods, gifts and crafts, which reflect the story of Jordan's producers.

"Each product tells a story about the person or people who made it. Like our items, each story is unique," Hourani noted, citing the case of Safaa Abbasi, a 31-year-old craftswoman from Irbid. 

Since her early age, Safaa has been drawing, making handicrafts and acting. Because she is a wheelchair user, her mobility was highly reduced and she faced many difficulties in terms of transport and work opportunities. 

"I wanted to prove to myself and to society that I could change my life for the better. So, with the help of my sister, I started manufacturing baskets and wedding accessories and selling them to my relatives and friends," Abbasi recalled, noting that her products became increasingly popular among her entourage. 

"However, I am still facing a problem in accessing capital to get more material. This platform will really help me expand my customer base and continue steadily making my way towards success," she rejoiced

"From the comfort of their computer or mobile device, customers can browse through hundreds of high-quality products made with pride," Hourani told The Jordan Times after the launch, stressing that "we provide a place for small-scale artists and artisans to share and sell their work online to increase their economic independence and support their craft". 

"Online tools empower artisans no matter where they live or who they are, and an easy-to-use method of marketing, payment and delivery can put everyone on an equal playing field," the platform director said, adding that "Souq Fann can revolutionise the model of these small-scale businesses. Supported by Souq Fann’s technology and marketing features, artists and artisans can focus on what’s most important: the quality and creativity of their craft”.

For 47-year-old Majid Al Batayneh, who lives Irbid Governorate with his wife and four children, working in crafts was much more a source of pleasure and happiness than of financial gain. 

When he retired in 2005, he said he felt "a great vacuum in his life". He started focusing on his former hobby of wood painting and realised it brought him both respect and appreciation from his peers and self-fulfillment for creating something beautiful appreciated by its owner.

"As I thought about expanding my hobby into a business, I was confronted with the challenges of acquiring timber regularly, but also of marketing my various products to the public. With its outreach to the entire Kingdom, Souq Fann will really help in getting to know about my work," Batayneh said.

Accessible at www.souqfann.com, the independently registered social enterprise seeks to become financially sustainable within 5 years of its launch, according to its website.

Once a purchase is made, Souq Fann, which displays 300 products from dozens of vendors, handles packaging, customer service, and delivery to customers throughout Jordan.

"Ultimately, we aim to increase our market share in Europe by beginning to export our products in late 2018 or early 2019 to Europe and throughout the MENA region," Hourani stated, voicing great appreciation for the promotional support of the Ministry of Tourism, the Jordan Tourism Board, the EU/UNESCO NET-MED Youth project and the European Regional Development and Protection Programme for the Middle East.

AMMAN —  Almost a year ago, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs opened the door for home-based entrepreneurs to legally run their businesses within the boundaries of municipalities, in a move aimed at boosting home-based businesses' (HBB) contribution to the local economy. 

For Hiba Qandeel, owner of “Hibat Al Tabee’a” (in Arabic, “Gift of Nature”), a natural herb and food products company, this new law of registration and licensing of home projects represented the perfect opportunity to formally establish and expand her business, which now employs over 20 individuals.

Qandeel became the first woman to obtain a work permit for her HBB in the Greater Zarqa Municipality, where she paved the way for over 30 female entrepreneurs to develop and license their HBB projects. 

"Before 2017, licensing a home-based business was not accessible in Zarqa Governorate. Since the regulations passed, Hiba has helped us license our businesses and she was a great inspiration for us to think about various ways to develop our projects,” local entrepreneur Maha Amara, who runs a business for sweets and dates, said.

In September 2017, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs approved the regulations concerning the licensing of HBB, which stipulated that businesses “should not involve machinery, manufacturing processes or services that would produce noise, smoke, dust, or smell… should not use or produce hazardous materials that would jeopardise the public health and should not exceed 15 per cent of the home’s area”, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Qandeel was supported in her endeavours by the USAID Jordan Local Enterprise Support (LENS) project, which provided her with financial support in 2015 to expand her business which at the time employed five women on a full-time basis and up to 15 women during high season.

Since then, she has strived to encourage her female peers to develop and register their home based projects, in cooperation with the Directorate of the Commercial Registry in Zarqa, which provided women with all facilities and continuous assistance.

"It took me only two days and it was easy and trouble-free," said Nima Rifai, who owns a home-made pickles business, adding "I used to think that the registration process was too complicated and that the entrepreneur had to pay large amounts of taxes but I realised that I could do it very easily with the legal assistance provided by USAID LENS”.

USAID LENS also organised training courses on communication and marketing skills, project and time management, budgeting and file keeping to help the women develop the skills needed to run their businesses efficiently.

"Although it has not been long since I obtained my licence [in February of this year], it really boosted my confidence in my business; I have received so much praise and I can now confidently distribute samples of my products to companies and institutions," Amara told The Jordan Times.

"This is only the first step towards systematically involving more women to work legally," Rifai said. In addition to the licensing, she called for offering training courses to empower local women to design “clear gradual plans of action and business expansion".

As of July 1, the ministries of municipal affairs and industry and trade and the Greater Amman Municipality launched a joint campaign to increase awareness about the new HBB regulations, aiming to encourage people operating their business informally from home to register legally as a formal home-based enterprise.

"The issuance of the licensing regulations was an important step for us," recounted Qandeel, who expanded her business and was able to export her products to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

She said that these instructions helped HBB access new markets that they could not enter as long as their projects were unlicensed, and thus illegal. "Because we pay taxes for our businesses, we can now sell our products to supermarkets, festivals and various exhibitions, rather than just a specific category of customers due to the previously illegal nature of our work."

"We, women, need to know that we can't just sit at home waiting for a miracle to happen and change our lives. I believe we are all capable of achieving remarkable things, we just need to work hard," Qandeel told The Jordan Times.

The instructions also enabled entrepreneurs to submit their products for food quality testing to the Royal Scientific Society, which "greatly enhanced their credibility to the public", Qandeel, Amara and Rifai said, noting that, with their products being subject to Food and Drug Administration checks, customers now feel "much more comfortable in buying them".

A typical informal, unlicensed Jordanian HBB earns JD100 to JD300 per month, almost all of which is spent for the family’s livelihood needs, according to a USAID LENS study, which stated that HBBs, if formaised, could collectively contribute more than JD ten million directly to the national economy and JD 40 million indirectly.

Although women-owned businesses constitute only 10 per cent of all businesses in Jordan, they employ up to 55 per cent of all women in the workforce, according to the research.

For Qandeel, being able to officially license her projects was a "real boost" that she hopes will “help motivate other young women in the community to finish their studies instead of dropping out to find jobs”.

More information on the HBB regulations campaign can be found at www.hbbjordan.com.

AMMAN — Jordan has completed the accession procedures to the Marrakesh Treaty adopted in 2014 to facilitate access to published works for persons with visual impairments and other persons with disabilities to assist them in reading publications.

This was on the sidelines of the 36th Session of the Standing Committee on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge held at the end of last June in Geneva, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The National Library Department (NLD) said in a press statement on Tuesday that Jordan’s Representative to the UN Office at Geneva Saja Majali had submitted the documents of authorisation and ratification of accession to the Treaty to the World Intellectual Property Organisation, and that the accession shall enter into force three months from submitting the documents of accession.

The Treaty provides that member states shall provide in their national laws to make the work accessible in the easy format and to provide copies for the beneficiaries by any means, including non-commercial lending or electronic transport.

AMMAN — The activities of the free medical and educational days, organised by Terre des Hommes Italy (TdH It) in cooperation with the Polish Medical Mission with a financial fund from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of Development Cooperation, kicked off on Tuesday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The event, which takes place at the headquarters of the “Soldier’s Family Support Society”, TdH It’s local partner in Zarqa, aims to provide essential healthcare services to mothers, children, and infants as well as health education to the local community and Syrian refugees in Zarqa Governorate.

More than 4,000 women and 4,000 children have so far benefitted from the two phases of the project since it began a year ago, according to Petra. The Polish Medical Mission coordinator said that the project seeks to alleviate the burden of hosting Syrian refugees by mitigating the pressure on Jordan’s healthcare sector.

AMMAN — Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) has prepared an operational plan for southern Aqaba’s new ports, aiming to activate the transportation sector and its logistic components so as to enhance ports, marine services and the airport activities.

ASEZA Spokesperson Abdul Mahdi Qatamin said that the new intensive and comprehensive plan to reshape Aqaba’s ports included the enhancement of the Aqaba Container Terminal, which has become one of the best three ports in the Middle East and North Africa, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Tuesday.

Qatamin noted that the Aqaba new port project will soon be completed to contribute to the envisioned advanced transportation system in accordance with the best international standards and practices.