Amman, Aug. 9 (Petra) — 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 to cooperate on implementing a national
project aimed at strengthening the Jordan Badia’s resilience to the
impacts of climate change and supporting the transition to
regenerative agriculture and sustainable natural resource management.

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, in the presence
of Hashemite Fund Director Ayesh Qatarneh, RBG Director-General
Mohammad Shahbaz and Ain Min Al-Sama (eye in the sky) founder Akram
Khreis.

The J-TRAECE consortium comprises Ain Min Al-Sama, the RBG and the
HFDJB, bringing together expertise in technology and innovation,
smart agriculture, biodiversity protection and ecosystem restoration,
sustainable development, and local community empowerment.

The “Jordanian Transformative Regenerative Ecological Agriculture in
a Climate Justice Framework” project aims to develop an integrated
model to strengthen climate resilience in the Badia by combining
regenerative agriculture, sustainable rangeland management, improved
livestock productivity and breeds, rainwater harvesting and
groundwater recharge, ecosystem restoration, and local community
empowerment and capacity building.

The project will deploy digital technologies and tracking and
monitoring systems to support the sustainable management of natural
resources, livestock, and water, alongside solar energy solutions for
targeted infrastructure. These measures are expected to help reduce
emissions and operating costs and enhance sustainability.

Al-Haddad said the bank was continuing to strengthen its role in
developing national partnerships and bankable climate projects,
leveraging its accreditation with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to
expand access to climate finance and support Jordan’s sustainable
development priorities and resilience-building efforts.

Al-Tabakhi stressed the importance of the partnership with the CVDB
and consortium members in developing a national project based on
local expertise and best practices. The project, he said, would
contribute to strengthening water and food security, restoring
ecosystems, empowering local communities, and supporting Jordan’s
efforts to address the impacts of climate change.

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,
supporting Jordan’s efforts to tackle climate change, attract climate
finance, and achieve sustainable development.

The agreement comes as part of the CVDB’s efforts, in its capacity as
an accredited entity of the GCF, to develop bankable national
projects and attract climate finance. It provides a framework for
cooperation between the bank and the J-TRAECE consortium during the
preparation and development of the project’s concept note, ahead of
completing the GCF requirements and moving, in accordance with
approved procedures, to prepare a full funding proposal.

The initiative is aligned with national climate priorities and
national reports highlighting the growing exposure of dry and
semi-arid areas, including the Jordan Badia, to the impacts of
climate change, including rising temperatures, declining rainfall,
drought, degradation of rangelands and water resources, and falling
livestock productivity.

//Petra// AF