Responding to Climate Change in Jordan: understanding institutional developments, political restrictions and economic opportunities

Abstract

Jordan is one of the world’s most resource-poor, arid and freshwater-stressed countries with climate change aggravating these challenges further. We argue that due to Jordan’s climate change vulnerability and low levels of resilience, as well as its vital role in Middle Eastern politics, it is necessary to examine how climate change policies are approached in the kingdom. Based on a thematic analysis of official climate change policy documentation and elite interviews, we find that climate change problems are portrayed as important in Jordan, but the policymaking and implementation processes face significant challenges. The main predicaments are: the prioritization of short-term political and economic interests, over-reliance on external actors, limited financial, technical and knowledge capacities, and a lack of coordination between the key public sector stakeholders. Furthermore, as with other authoritarian states, Jordan’s ability to respond to climate change is influenced by restrictions stemming from the governing regime’s prioritization of its own survival.