Amman: In the presence of HRH Princess Basma bint Ali, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Hashemite Fund for the Development of Jordan Badia (HFDJB) and founder of the Royal Botanic Garden (RBG), the Cities and Villages Development Bank (CVDB) and the J-TRAECE project development consortium signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Sunday. The agreement aims to bolster the Jordan Badia's resilience to climate change impacts by transitioning to regenerative agriculture and sustainable natural resource management.
According to Jordan News Agency, the memorandum was signed at the fund's headquarters by Cities and Villages Development Bank Director-General Waseem Al-Haddad and J-TRAECE consortium representative Ahmad Al-Tabakhi. The signing was witnessed by Hashemite Fund Director Ayesh Qatarneh, RBG Director-General Mohammad Shahbaz, and Ain Min Al-Sama founder Akram Khreis.
The J-TRAECE consortium includes Ain Min Al-Sama, the RBG, and the HFDJB, combining expertise in technology, innovation, smart agriculture, biodiversity protection, ecosystem restoration, sustainable development, and community empowerment.
The "Jordanian Transformative Regenerative Ecological Agriculture in a Climate Justice Framework" project aims to create an integrated model to enhance climate resilience in the Badia. This will be achieved by integrating regenerative agriculture, sustainable rangeland management, improved livestock productivity and breeds, rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, ecosystem restoration, and community capacity building.
The project will utilize digital technologies and tracking systems to support sustainable management of natural resources, livestock, and water, alongside solar energy solutions for infrastructure. These measures aim to reduce emissions, operating costs, and enhance sustainability.
Al-Haddad emphasized the bank's commitment to developing national partnerships and climate projects, leveraging its Green Climate Fund (GCF) accreditation to expand climate finance access and support Jordan's development priorities.
Al-Tabakhi highlighted the partnership's role in developing a national project rooted in local expertise and best practices, contributing to water and food security, ecosystem restoration, community empowerment, and addressing climate change impacts.
The memorandum marks a step towards developing an integrated national project in the Jordan Badia and strengthening partnerships among national institutions, the private sector, and civil society. It aligns with Jordan's efforts to tackle climate change, attract climate finance, and achieve sustainable development.
The agreement is part of the CVDB's efforts as a GCF-accredited entity to develop national projects and attract climate finance. It outlines the cooperation framework between the bank and the J-TRAECE consortium in preparing the project's concept note and developing a full funding proposal.
The initiative aligns with national climate priorities and reports highlighting the growing exposure of dry and semi-arid areas, including the Jordan Badia, to climate change impacts such as rising temperatures, declining rainfall, and falling livestock productivity.