Jordan was selected as one of four country sites where this global project will be implemented; namely Botswana, Mali and Sudan. The three-year-project, which is funded by the European Union, aims at poverty reduction, sustainable management and restoration of ecosystems in drylands and rangelands. Four pilot areas were selected in Jordan within Zarqa and Mafraq governorates.

“Drylands and rangelands create opportunities for livelihood and human wellbeing in rural communities. This project provides a model of human-centered development that ensures the sound utilization of local resources to the benefit of local communities in Jordan. IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) is keen to see such projects play the role of change agents by linking action-learning to policy arena in community-based natural resources management,” said Dr. Odeh Al-Jayyousi, IUCN West Asia Regional Director.

The project is expected to achieve a number of results that local communities will benefit from on the local and global levels, with special attention to those important to women and vulnerable groups. Economically, the project will explore economic and income generating options for rural communities based on natural resource commodities and on valuations of ecosystem services. The project will also inform and influence policies to support sustainable management of drylands and rangelands at local, national, regional, and global levels.

A number of activities and plans are developed, that aim at building the capacities of local communities and their institutions to manage and restore their ecosystems, improve their marketing activities as well as support dialogues among local stakeholders and of multi-stakeholder dialogues to share, negotiate and agree understanding, knowledge, ideas and priorities. .

Media team:
Rania Faouri, Communications Officer, IUCN Regional Office for West Asia
Mobile +962 777888522, e-mail rania.faouri@iucn.org Website: www.iucn.org/westasia