Jordan on Renewable Energy Sources
“Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth...
these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women's empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.”(Ban Ki-moon).
Climate scientists’ claim that the main cause of the current global warming is human expansion; calling it, the enhanced greenhouse effect. Human activates particularly; burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), agriculture and land clearing are increasing the concentrations of greenhouse gases, contributing to the warming of the Earth.
This phenomenon is of an international interest for a wide range of countries, because of its effects on the environment and the economic growth and the society.
One of those countries is, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a small upper-middle income county, which is one of the most active countries relating to global issues in the Middle East.
Jordan is a country with scarce natural resources (in particular water), and a small industrial base within the service sector and with the mitigation of the greenhouse effect Jordan is expected to be affected positively regarding its sustainable development according to the outcomes from the latest Third National Communication Report to UNFCCC (2014) , despite of the many challenges including geographic, demographic, economic, political and the factors directly enhancing the global warming that may hinder the solving of the greenhouse effect in Jordan.
Jordan signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992 and ratified it in 1993.
The main focal point for climate change issues in Jordan is the Ministry of Environment (MOE). With support of UNDP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), it published Jordan’s Second National Communication to the UNFCCC in 2009, relying on the knowledge of numerous Jordanian experts.
Jordan issued a national climate change policy in 2013, led by theministry of environment.
According to Water Strategy, Jordan is one of the four driest countries in the world, due to rapid population growth; water availability per capita has declined significantly, from 3,600 m³ per capita and year in 1946 to only 145 m³ in 2008.
Water demand distinctly exceeds supply. Climate change was not a main issue on the Jordanian water agenda.
Jordan’s Water Strategy 2008-2022 acknowledges that water scarcity will increase in the future. However, climate change plays a secondary role as driver of increasing water stress in the Water Strategy .
Jordan’s sectoral breakdown in 2006 report revealed that different sources contribute to the enhanced greenhouse effect and therefore, water depletion; energy (including transport)-related activities have the dominant share of the greenhouse gases,(GHGs) emissions in Jordan totaling 73% followed by almost close percentage for both waste and industrial activities totaling 10% and 9% respectively.
Activities from Agriculture have the lowest percentage about 5%.
Given that situation, it is likely that climate change will lead to even more water scarcity in Jordan. More intense precipitation is likely to affect the country. In detail, the following impacts are likely:
⦁ Increasing water demand caused by warmer climate
⦁ Reduction of water quantity in reservoirs
⦁ Decreasing ⦁ groundwater tables
⦁ Deterioration of ⦁ water quality caused by increasing water scarcity
⦁ Conflicts among user groups (agriculture vs. domestic supply, industry, tourism)
⦁ Damages through intense precipitation
Jordan’s well organized and institutionalized planning process for combating climate change has started in 2013 by voluntarily developing the National Climate Change Policy for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan 2013-2020.
In order to solve this, Jordan should mitigate this effect, by a set 14 % until 2030. The estimated cost to reach the 14% target is totaling USD 5,700,000,000 from which government of Jordan has already secured. Action plans where developed in order to reach the target; this activity is currently under execution and the green growth strategy is expected to be developed in 2016. Actions that are related to the sectoral factors mentioning the energy sector are; developing and utilizing the local conventional and renewable sources of energy, encouraging the use of solar energy for water heating and solar cooling, setting clear standards for construction, raising awareness about the long-term financial benefits of energy efficiency, attracting private sector investment to the energy sector. While transport is by far the largest energy consumer in the Kingdom and the second emitter of GHG according to the 3rd National Communication Report. The main programs and projects under transport sectors are; increasing the total number of commuters using public transport as a percentage of the total number to 25 % by 2025, the introduction of the Zero Emission Electric Vehicle, and implementing the railway system. Finally, action plans related to waste management and water Sector are; developing a system for sorting, re-using and recycling, improving energy use efficiency in water utilities, and implementing a number of projects based on renewable energy sources.
Eyad Ayed Alsamhan
Jordanian legal scholar
“Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth...
these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women's empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.”(Ban Ki-moon).
Climate scientists’ claim that the main cause of the current global warming is human expansion; calling it, the enhanced greenhouse effect. Human activates particularly; burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), agriculture and land clearing are increasing the concentrations of greenhouse gases, contributing to the warming of the Earth.
This phenomenon is of an international interest for a wide range of countries, because of its effects on the environment and the economic growth and the society.
One of those countries is, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a small upper-middle income county, which is one of the most active countries relating to global issues in the Middle East.
Jordan is a country with scarce natural resources (in particular water), and a small industrial base within the service sector and with the mitigation of the greenhouse effect Jordan is expected to be affected positively regarding its sustainable development according to the outcomes from the latest Third National Communication Report to UNFCCC (2014) , despite of the many challenges including geographic, demographic, economic, political and the factors directly enhancing the global warming that may hinder the solving of the greenhouse effect in Jordan.
Jordan signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992 and ratified it in 1993.
The main focal point for climate change issues in Jordan is the Ministry of Environment (MOE). With support of UNDP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), it published Jordan’s Second National Communication to the UNFCCC in 2009, relying on the knowledge of numerous Jordanian experts.
Jordan issued a national climate change policy in 2013, led by theministry of environment.
According to Water Strategy, Jordan is one of the four driest countries in the world, due to rapid population growth; water availability per capita has declined significantly, from 3,600 m³ per capita and year in 1946 to only 145 m³ in 2008.
Water demand distinctly exceeds supply. Climate change was not a main issue on the Jordanian water agenda.
Jordan’s Water Strategy 2008-2022 acknowledges that water scarcity will increase in the future. However, climate change plays a secondary role as driver of increasing water stress in the Water Strategy .
Jordan’s sectoral breakdown in 2006 report revealed that different sources contribute to the enhanced greenhouse effect and therefore, water depletion; energy (including transport)-related activities have the dominant share of the greenhouse gases,(GHGs) emissions in Jordan totaling 73% followed by almost close percentage for both waste and industrial activities totaling 10% and 9% respectively.
Activities from Agriculture have the lowest percentage about 5%.
Given that situation, it is likely that climate change will lead to even more water scarcity in Jordan. More intense precipitation is likely to affect the country. In detail, the following impacts are likely:
⦁ Increasing water demand caused by warmer climate
⦁ Reduction of water quantity in reservoirs
⦁ Decreasing ⦁ groundwater tables
⦁ Deterioration of ⦁ water quality caused by increasing water scarcity
⦁ Conflicts among user groups (agriculture vs. domestic supply, industry, tourism)
⦁ Damages through intense precipitation
Jordan’s well organized and institutionalized planning process for combating climate change has started in 2013 by voluntarily developing the National Climate Change Policy for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan 2013-2020.
In order to solve this, Jordan should mitigate this effect, by a set 14 % until 2030. The estimated cost to reach the 14% target is totaling USD 5,700,000,000 from which government of Jordan has already secured. Action plans where developed in order to reach the target; this activity is currently under execution and the green growth strategy is expected to be developed in 2016. Actions that are related to the sectoral factors mentioning the energy sector are; developing and utilizing the local conventional and renewable sources of energy, encouraging the use of solar energy for water heating and solar cooling, setting clear standards for construction, raising awareness about the long-term financial benefits of energy efficiency, attracting private sector investment to the energy sector. While transport is by far the largest energy consumer in the Kingdom and the second emitter of GHG according to the 3rd National Communication Report. The main programs and projects under transport sectors are; increasing the total number of commuters using public transport as a percentage of the total number to 25 % by 2025, the introduction of the Zero Emission Electric Vehicle, and implementing the railway system. Finally, action plans related to waste management and water Sector are; developing a system for sorting, re-using and recycling, improving energy use efficiency in water utilities, and implementing a number of projects based on renewable energy sources.
Eyad Ayed Alsamhan
Jordanian legal scholar
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