RSS strengthens efforts to combat climate change

AMMAN — Jordan’s development achievements are under threat due to the negative impacts of climate change, which is directly and indirectly affecting various socioeconomic aspects of life, according to the Royal Scientific Society (RSS). 

The RSS, through its Climate Change Studies Division, in cooperation with different stakeholders, seeks to contribute to the development of a scientifically informed method to address climate change through building the capacities of local communities and institutions within the public and private sectors, the society said in a statement.

The society said climate change is most notably affecting water supply, food and health security, is threatening biodiversity, increasing desertification and contributes to the destruction of arable lands, all of which affect the quantity and quality of crops.

The manager of Climate Change Studies Division at the RSS, Ruba Ajjour, said that climate change is expected to negatively impact the country’s development and economic growth, and this matter needs systematic efforts and well planned climate action.

The division has worked on the implementation of several projects, from applied pilot projects to technical support and capacity-building as well as conducting technical analysis and preparing national reports.

In terms of addressing the issue of greenhouse gas emissions, Ajjour explained that the division, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and with the support of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), has prepared Jordan’s first and second Biennial Update Reports on climate change. The results of these reports are used as a base when preparing national sectoral strategies and when evaluating projects submitted for international funds.

The division has worked with the Information Technology Centre at RSS with the support of the World Bank to implement the Measurement, Reporting and Verification system (MRV). 

The MRV system aims to track greenhouse gas emission reduction for renewable energy in order to develop national periodic reports for the Ministry of Environment to monitor the implementation of climate related plans.

In the agricultural sector, the RSS, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Planning and through the support of the Adaptation Fund, has implemented a project to strengthen the resilience of the communities working in agriculture against climate change, the statement said.

Training workshops were conducted in Jordan Valley and Wadi Musa and support provided to small projects aimed at changing the crop pattern to adapt to climate change.

Ajjour also said that the division, in cooperation with the Information Technology Centre at RSS, has developed an early warning system in the form of a mobile application and a web platform to enable farmers to access information about expected extreme weather events in order to be better prepared and to take the necessary precautions to protect their crops. 

Ajjour highlighted that Jordan is among the first countries within the region that realised early the importance of having a comprehensive action plan and the need to have full cooperation to address the impacts of climate change.