Resilient water solutions against climate change in Jordan and Lebanon

The Arab region is one of the most water-scarce regions in the world. Urban and rural areas in Jordan and Lebanon experience extreme pressure on water availability, exacerbated by climate change, the unprecedented influx of displaced persons, and groundwater over-extraction and pollution.

In this context, UN-Habitat launched a project, financed by the Adaptation Fund, to increase the resilience of both displaced persons and host communities to climate change-related water challenges in Jordan and Lebanon. The goal of the project is to better respond to climate change impacts and vulnerabilities in both countries through concrete adaptation measures, while avoiding tension over natural resources and employment opportunities.

Our approach

The project adopts a sustainable water management approach. It aims to reduce the reliance on unsustainable water sources, such as over-extracted (and often polluted) groundwater, by promoting and increasing water supply options from non-conventional and more sustainable sources, including rainwater harvesting and the reuse of treated wastewater. The project consists of four main components:

1. Increasing the resilience of municipal Governments by managing urban risks and vulnerabilities related to climate change. 
2. Increasing the resilience of citizens by improving awareness, ownership and capacities to respond to climate change.
3. Demonstrating concrete adaptation measures which respond to the needs of both displaced persons and host communities by increasing the adaptive capacity of the water sector.
4. Improving knowledge, policies and regulations to increase urban resilience in the region.

UN-Habitat develops climate change and gender mainstreamed territorial plans and local urban master plans for the project’s target areas in Jordan (municipalities of Irbid and Mafraq) and Lebanon (Zahle district and the surrounding municipalities). ESCWA executes the regional and international knowledge management strategy, shares lessons learned and replication strategies, and establishes a permanent virtual Community of Practice dedicated to knowledge sharing around climate change issues in urban areas. UNICEF and local partners from both countries undertake the execution of adaptation projects.

Our partners

Implementing entity:

• UN-Habitat

Executing entities:

• ESCWA
• UNICEF
• The Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development
• The Hashemite Fund for Development of the Jordan Badia
• Yarmouk Water Company
• Ministry of Water and Irrigation of Jordan
• Permaculture Research Institute
• Private sector

Governmental and local partners in Lebanon:

• Ministry of Environment
• Ministry of Energy and Water 
• Bekaa Water Establishment
• Lebanese Agriculture Research Institute 
• Municipality of Zahle, Maalqa and Taanayel

Governmental and local partners in Jordan:

• Ministry of Environment
• Ministry of Water and Irrigation
• Ministry of Local Administration 
• Greater Irbid Municipality 
• Greater Mafraq Municipality

Our activities

The project seeks to deliver the following: 

1. Climate change and gender mainstreamed territorial plans and development strategies. 
2. Climate change and gender mainstreamed urban master plans at municipal level. 
3. Community organization, awareness and capacity-building around several concrete water adaptation technologies.
4. Concrete water adaptation technologies to be implemented in Lebanon and Jordan, including: 

• Rooftop rainwater harvesting
• Greywater treatment and reuse
• Efficient treatment and reuse of wastewater
• Water-use-efficient irrigation 
• Permaculture demonstrations

5. Regional and international knowledge management with a focus on project lessons and replication, including: 

• The establishment of a virtual Community of Practice that will include policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in the urban space regionally and globally. 
• Organization of national steering committee meetings for the project in Lebanon and Jordan biannually and a regional steering committee meeting annually.
• Communication products and tools.