Amman, Aug. 20 (Petra)– In collaboration with the Ministry of
Environment and Al Hussein Technical University (HTU), Mercy Corps
convened a public-private roundtable on Thursday to discuss the role
of climate-smart solutions in strengthening climate resilience in
Jordan.

Held under the Tabeaa project, the roundtable brought together
representatives from government institutions, the private sector and
financing entities to discuss Jordan’s climate change adaptation
priorities and explore ways to translate them into practical,
scalable solutions.

Participants focused on strengthening cooperation among the public
and private sectors, innovators and academia, while identifying key
barriers, enabling factors and investment opportunities to advance
climate innovation.

Assistant Secretary-General for Technical Affairs at the Ministry of
Environment, Maha Maayta, stressed the importance of public-private
cooperation, saying that neither sector can achieve progress or
deliver solutions independently.

She underscored the government’s role in creating an enabling
environment for innovative ideas to generate tangible impact, while
highlighting the private sector’s role in transforming knowledge into
decisions, investment and practical solutions.

Sara Haleeq, Head of the Adaptation Section at the Ministry’s Climate
Change Directorate, said addressing the impacts of climate change is
a shared responsibility, stressing that public-private partnerships
have become a sustainability priority rather than an optional
approach.

The roundtable was moderated by Hussam Khasawneh, Assistant to the
President for Industry Partnerships at HTU, who guided discussions on
innovation, public-private cooperation and the barriers and enablers
affecting the development and scaling of climate solutions.

Rami Al Karmi, Assistant to the President for Innovation at HTU,
presented the Open Innovation Bootcamp, which is being implemented
under the Tabeaa project to support innovators and entrepreneurs in
developing climate-smart solutions.

The initiative received 101 applications from across Jordan and
selected 11 ventures to develop solutions addressing two key
climate-related risks: heatwaves and flash floods.

The participating ventures are being supported through prototype
development and connections with partners, service providers and
investors, ahead of the National Conference for Climate Change
Adaptation Innovations scheduled for September 2026.

Spiro Jildeh, Senior Partnerships and Influencing Coordinator for the
Tabeaa project, said Jordan has innovative solutions, but the
challenge lies in building links between these solutions and finance,
policy, markets and potential partners to help them grow and scale.

He stressed that climate resilience cannot be achieved by a single
actor and requires meaningful cooperation among the public sector,
private sector, communities and innovators.

Since 2003, Mercy Corps has worked in Jordan on expanding access to
clean water, climate change adaptation, strengthening youth and
women’s civic participation, and promoting economic stability for
Jordanians and refugees.

//Petra// MF