UN-Habitat in Jordan, research institute launch pilot permaculture project

AMMAN — This week, the United Nations Human Settlement programme (UN-Habitat) in Jordan signed an agreement with the Permaculture Research Institute (PRI) for “Increasing the resilience of both displaced persons and host communities to climate change-related water challenges in Jordan” project.

The project is funded by the Adaptation Fund, which will be hosted at Jerash University.

Mohammad Al Tarawneh, acting dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at the university, underscored the project’s importance and its focus on students and the local community. 

He also noted that advancing sustainable agriculture “perfectly resonates” with the university’s educational objectives, which encompass diverse agricultural study tracks and farming techniques within the faculty’s master’s degree programmes. 

Additionally, the university is exploring incorporating permaculture as a dedicated course, or a practical training opportunity, for students pursuing agricultural studies, he added.

National Programme Coordinator of UN-Habitat Jordan Deema Abu Thiab highlighted the programme’s focus on two main projects in the Jerash Governorate. These projects include the development of a permaculture demonstration site in collaboration with Jerash University and the Permaculture Research Institute, and renovating and expanding the Al Mearad Wastewater Treatment Plant in Jerash. 

The project initiatives in Jordan will primarily be located in Irbid and Mafraq, according to a statement from UN-Habitat in Jordan. 

Project activities include implementing rooftop rainwater harvesting systems across residential structures, educational institutions and mosques.

Furthermore, the plan involves integrating “grey water” systems within schools and mosques, enhancing wastewater treatment facilities, introducing innovative and effective irrigation methods for treated water and establishing a permaculture demonstration site.

Regional Project Coordinator Hussein Muhsen noted that the project is considered a “crucial first step” in promoting and implementing permaculture in Jordan on a larger scale, emphasising the project’s potential to provide valuable lessons for the future development and expansion of this agricultural approach.

National Project Coordinator Jawad Dukhgan highlighted the project’s educational importance, noting that the project aims to involve not only students but also the local community. 

Representative of the PRI Sam Davies expressed the institute’s readiness to execute the project in collaboration with Jerash University.