Jordan highlights challenges, opportunities in confronting climate change

AMMAN — Jordan, alongside 195 countries, is taking part in the Conference of the Parties (COP22) on climate change being held in Marrakesh, Morocco, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Monday. 

Jordan is represented at the conference by an official delegation headed by Environment Minister Yaseen Khayyat and includes representatives of the water, energy and transport ministries, in addition to the Jordan Meteorological Department, the National Centre for Human Rights, civil society institutions and the private sector. 

Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Salaheddine Mezouar inaugurated COP22, which continues through November 18, commending the member states’ speed in working to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. 

The high-level meetings for COP22 are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Petra reported citing an Environment Ministry statement, during which Khayyat is going to deliver the Kingdom’s speech.

On the sidelines of
COP 22, the Jordanian delegates took part in the Arab group meetings.

During the sessions, Ahmad Qatarneh, secretary general of the Environment Ministry, presented research papers on challenges and opportunities to reach sustainable development and the role of local funds in contributing to the mitigation of climate change effects and integrating the concepts of green growth into strategies and national plans.

At the Paris meeting last year, Jordan indicated that it can reduce its greenhouse emissions by 14 per cent, if international funding is provided to enable the Kingdom to reduce 12.5 per cent of that total percentage.

Jordan will commit to covering the cost of reducing emissions by 1.5 per cent.

The Kingdom will cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 per cent by implementing 70 projects, mainly in the energy and transportation sectors, if the required funds are available.

Already a victim to climate change, Jordan is expected to witness a 15-60 per cent decrease in precipitation and a 1-4°C increase in temperatures, which will in turn have serious potential impacts on its natural ecosystems, river basins, watersheds and biodiversity, according to the 2013-2020 Jordan Climate Change Policy.

Climate change over the past two decades has also caused a drastic drop in rainfall and prolonged dry spells in the Kingdom, according to a study by the Water Ministry.