National Strategy and Action Plan to Combat Desertification.

The Jordan National Strategy and Action Plan (NAP) outlines the basis for performing the relevant tasks, objectives, activities and methodology to combat desertification in Jordan.The NAP was prepared in accordance with the UNCCD directives and articles and includes detailed survey of environment and the most affected areas in Jordan.The overall objective of the NAP is to provide integrated development programmes targeting local communities and environmental components in areas under threat of desertification.The specific objectives are: (i) to highlight desertification as a national priority and develop a National Action Plan to be integrated within the national policy in a participatory approach to ensure commitment of all stakeholders for its implementation; (ii) to outline measures needed to combat desertification and mitigation effects of drought and the misuse of land through effective action at all levels supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements, in the framework of an integrated approach contributing to the achievement of sustainable development of affected areas.The NAP includes five major programmes that are mainly “project-based”. The programmes include several projects related to desertification monitoring and control, capacity building, natural resources rehabilitation and development. However, these programmes and the proposed projects provide framework for an action plan to combat desertification.The proposed programmes are mainly the following: (i) desertification information system (DIS); (ii) drought prediction and desertification control; (iii) capacity building and institutional development; (iv) restoration of degraded ecosystems of rangelands and forests; (v) watershed management; (vi) human, social and economic development initiatives.To increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters, the NAP plans to implement the following activities: (i) raising up awareness towards the problems of desertification and its consequences; (ii) raise up the public awareness towards sustainable land use through educational, extension and training programmes; (iii) establishing the drought monitoring center with the required infrastructure and personnel; (iv) reforestation and maintenance of the forest area; (vi) conservation and/or sustainable use of local species; (vii) prepare engineering drawings of the old methods of soil and water conservation; (viii) conservation of indigenous and traditional knowledge for soil and water conservation and sustainable agriculture and increase green area and thus combat desertification and reduce wind erosion; (ix) reduce the hazard of polluting groundwater from cesspool and septic tanks.In the context of governance, as part of institutional arrangements and given the importance of land degradation and its consequences for land use in Jordan, it is highly recommended to establish the CCD coordination unit at the ministry of environment. This will assist in institutionalizing desertification abatement activities at the national level and mobilize all concerned parties and draw their attention to desertification and degradation, its consequences and needs for action and harmonizing all activities related to desertification at the ministry as well of other institutions. This unit should keep reporting regularly on the update of the NAP to the local national institutions and NCCD.