GAM launches sustainable urban farming project with support of Japan, UNDP

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) on Wednesday announced the launch of a sustainable urban farming project in Amman. 

The project is a response to food insecurity resulting from the impacts of climate change and international conflicts that have strained supply chains.

The project seeks to ensure food security for low-income households and others who are vulnerable to impacts on the supply chain. 

The project, which is funded and supported by the government of Japan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), aims to enhance agriculture in the municipality’s urban areas, according to a statement from the UN agency. 

It will account for Amman’s unique climate and limited agricultural spaces through innovative methods, such as hydroponic agriculture and rainwater harvesting on rooftops. 

The project will also focus on supporting women, persons with disabilities and the most vulnerable households.

The launch ceremony was attended by Deputy Mayor of Amman Mohammad Rasmi Al Qaisi, Japanese Ambassador Okuyama Jiro, Resident Representative of UNDP Randa Aboul-Hosn, members of health and environment committees, GAM department directors, the urban farming technical team and representatives of ministries and international organisations.

Qaisi said that the city faces a number of challenges related to climate change and the international political situation, for which Amman needs to build resilience. 

He stated that GAM is addressing these challenges by evaluating climate risks and their impacts, and assessing the most vulnerable sectors, regions and communities. 

GAM has also developed an action plan to address climate impacts, including a number of programmes and procedures aimed at climate change mitigation and reducing the municipality’s emissions. 

The urban agriculture project is one element of this strategy, Qaisi said, noting that this will promote food security and benefit the city’s residents.

Qaisi praised the government of Japan and UNDP for their support, stating that this project complements a number of previous successes.

“This initiative serves as a testimony of Japan and Jordan’s unwavering commitment to tackling global challenges such as climate change,” said the ambassador. 

He spoke about the “pressing need” to find solutions to food insecurity and climate challenges, particularly for vulnerable populations. 

“Given the urgency of these issues, today we will take decisive steps to push this project forward, and I hope that the project will eventually drop a hint for sustainable solutions,” he said.

Aboul-Hosn stressed the importance of concerted efforts at the national, regional and international levels to address the accelerating impacts of climate change on development processes, particularly water and agricultural systems. 

She affirmed that UNDP prioritises food systems and food security in Jordan, providing support to improve the efficiency of these systems through innovative solutions that adopt an integrated approach for the water, energy and environment sectors in food production.