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MDGF-1646: Adaptation to Climate Change to Sustain Jordan’s MDG Achievements

PLEASE NOTE THIS CONCEPT NOTE IS THE ORIGINAL SUBMISSION TO THE FUND. IN MANY CASES INDICATIVE BUDGET AMOUNTS APPROVED BY THE STEERING COMMITTEE ARE CONSIDERABLY LOWER THAN THAT REQUESTED AND INDICATED HERE-IN. FINAL BUDGET AMOUNTS WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE AFTER APPROVAL OF THE FINALIZED DETAILED JOINT PROGRAMME DOCUMENT.
Mon, 2007/06/04 - 1:48pm — helena.naber@un...
Wed, 2007/06/06 - 1:18pm
Thu, 2007/06/14 - 11:32am
helena.naber@undp.org
English  (current)

ID: MDGF-1646

Environment and climate change
Round 1
(26/04/2007 - 31/12/2009)
Jordan
$5,417,410
36 Months
Adaptation to Climate Change to Sustain Jordan’s MDG Achievements

Attached Documents:

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A. Applicant Information

Arab States
  • Lower Middle Income Country
  • Medium HDI, according to UNDP's 2006 Human Development Report
  • Luc Stevens
  • luc.stevens@undp.org
  • Laila Milad
  • laila.milad@undp.org
  • Amal Dababseh
  • UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
  • Environment Analyst
  • amal.dababseh@undp.org
  • Hamed Bakir
  • WHO - World Health Organization
  • Regional Advisor, Rural Health and Environment
  • Bakirh@ceha.emro.who.int
  • UNDP - United Nations Development Programme ($1,179,675)
  • WHO - World Health Organization ($2,199,385)
  • UNESCO - United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization ($925,550)
  • FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ($1,112,800)
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B. Concept Note

This joint programme is submitted under the MDG-F Environment and Climate Change thematic window and aligned with the ‘Enhancing Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change’ priority area. Jordan made strategic advances towards the achievement of MDG targets, but its achievements are compromised by crippling water scarcity and aggravated by climate change, thus bringing about additional threats to health, food security, productivity, and human security. This programme will help Jordan address the above key strategic issues through achieving: 1) Sustained access to improved water supply sources despite increased water scarcity induced by climate change; and 2) Strengthened adaptive capacity for health protection and food security to climate change under water scarcity conditions. These outcomes address identified barriers to adaptation and provide support to Jordan’s priorities of sustainable management of its natural resources; reducing poverty; and enhancing health indicators.

Jordan made remarkable progress towards achieving the MDGs including reduction of poverty rates from 21% in 1997 to 14% in 2005 (MDG 1), achieving adult literacy rate of 97% (MDG 2), infant mortality rate of 24 per 1000 (MDG 4), 97% access to water, and 65% access to sanitation (MDG 7). The 2006 Human Development Report classified Jordan as one of the ten most water scarce countries in the world. The National Agenda that sets Jordan’s development vision till 2015, as well as the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) document (2008-2012), stress that Jordan's remarkable development achievements are under threat due to the crippling water scarcity, which is expected to be aggravated by climate change. The Initial National Communication* (INC) to the United Nations Framework Convention to Climate Change (UNFCCC) foresees that over the next three decades, Jordan will witness a rise in temperature, drop in rainfall, reduced ground cover, reduced water availability, heat-waves, and more frequent dust storms. The Second National Communication (SNC) to the UNFCCC identifies water as a priority area. The World Health Organization (WHO) supported studies in Irbid and Amman, indicate an increasing water scarcity that is felt through insufficient domestic water supplies, which are intermittent with serious implications to equity of access and drinking water quality - both being requirements for meeting the water access target. Half of Amman’s population, largely living in lower income areas, use less than 50 liters per capita per day and repeated but localized outbreaks of water-borne diseases are experienced. Decreasing availability of water for agriculture has led to increased use of treated wastewater in food production, and farming communities using treated wastewater and the consumers of crops are experiencing the additional burden of water-borne diseases. Changes in rainfall patterns, induced by climate change, will further push rain-fed areas towards irrigated agriculture. The Zarqa River Basin, home to over half of Jordan’s 5.4 million people and base for over 50% of its industries, has been identified by the National Agenda as environmental and social priority area. Jordan’s National MDG Report (2004) identifies Zarqa for focused development attention. Water resources in the basin suffer from over-abstraction and pollution and the INC studies indicate that climate change will negatively impact the situation in the Basin. Recognizing the magnitude of threat of water scarcity, the Government of Jordan (represented inter alia by the Ministries of Planning and International Cooperation, Water and Irrigation, Health, Agriculture, and Environment) developed a comprehensive set of water resources management strategy, policies, and legislation (see appendix A for list of relevant stakeholders). Massive expenditures during the last decade by the government and external assistance partners are placed in enhancing water resources availability and managing water demand. However, there remain several critical gaps in investment and policy development which include minimum household water security, drinking water quality, wastewater use safety, and efficient use of water. In addition, there are several barriers to water sector adaptation to climate change that threaten the sustainability of Jordan’s achievement of the MDG targets, these include: (i) climate change risks not sufficiently taken into account within sectoral policies and investment frameworks; (ii) existing climate information, knowledge and tools are not directly relevant for supporting adaptation decisions and actions; and (iii) weak national capacity to develop sectoral adaptation responses. Jordan’s success in adapting to increased water scarcity and related threats to health, food security, productivity, and human security induced by climate change is the key to sustaining its human development achievements and growth. For this, the identified adaptation barriers and gaps will be addressed. The direct and indirect impacts of climate change on the health, nutrition, and livelihood security of people will be assessed, and potential adaptation strategies will be screened and tested prior to wide scale application, for which, existing national adaptation capacities should be assessed and strengthened. Currently the United Nations (UN) system is supporting interventions to address gaps in policy and practices that link closely to this proposed programme. WHO supports the drinking water quality management system, and together with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) supports safe wastewater use practices. WHO and UNDP have jointly developed the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) funded “Adaptation to Protect Health” project, which is expected to start by end of 2007. FAO supports efficient use of water in farming and the development of Jordan’s national drought mitigation strategy. United Nations University (UNU) has established a Centre for Education for Sustainable Development, which will focus on water awareness-raising and water education for all concerned stakeholders in Jordan. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and UNDP strengthen the capacity for integrated water resources management (IWRM). UNDP assists Jordan to develop its SNC (vulnerability and adaptation assessment findings will feed directly into the joint programme outputs), and supports the localization of MDGs in Zarqa Governorate. Moreover, this programme complements efforts by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation to build the national capacity to restore Zarqa River Basin. The UNDAF (2008-2012) addresses four key related challenges to sustain progress towards the MDGs, which include: (i) water scarcity; (ii) drinking water supply security and quality; (iii) health, agriculture and food production vulnerability to climate change; and (iv) vulnerability of local biodiversity to climate change. The proposed joint programme will strengthen the United Nations Country Team’s (UNCT) efforts to achieve the UNDAF outcome of healthy and sustainable environment. This joint programme has a comparative advantage by addressing the gaps and barriers to adaptation vis à vis the other investments in the water and wastewater sectors in Jordan. * Note: National Communications to the UNFCCC for non-Annex I parties are periodic submissions by Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention on all aspects of implementation. This includes the Initial and Second National Communications.

Capacity development is critical for the sustainability of a programme after its completion. This joint programme will develop Jordan’s key government and civil society counterparts’ capacity to adapt to climate change threats to health, food security, productivity, and human security under the conditions of severe water scarcity that is expected to be compounded by climate change. Moreover, the capacity of vulnerable communities within the Zarqa governorate, including women and the poor, and other rural / urban pilot areas to adapt to climate change will be strengthened. This joint programme seeks to enhance capacity to adapt to climate change by addressing Jordan’s long-term adaptation needs (see Appendix B for Joint Programme Results Framework) through the following outcomes and outputs: Outcome 1: Sustained access to improved water supply sources despite increased water scarcity induced by climate change. • Output 1.1: Strengthened national drinking water quality management system at central and periphery level • Output 1.2: Sustainable and reliable supply of minimum water requirements for health protection Outcome 2: Strengthened adaptive capacity for health protection and food security to climate change under water scarcity conditions • Output 2.1: Improved rural sector adaptive capacity for climate variability and change. • Output 2.2: Improved national institutional and community capacity in integrated water resources management • Output 2.3: Adaptation measures, by health sector and other sectors, to protect health from climate change are institutionalized. • Output 2.4: Adaptation capacity of Zarqa River Basin to climate change is piloted and strengthened.

The following indicative activities will be undertaken as part of the joint programme over a period of three years: Outcome 1: Sustained access to improved water supply sources despite increased water scarcity induced by climate change The Ministries of Health and Water and Irrigation, as well as the Water Authority of Jordan, water supply companies, and the parliament, with assistance from the WHO, will work to implement the following activities: • Activity 1.1: Upgrade the national drinking water quality (DWQ) system for comprehensive national coverage. • Activity 1.2: Develop and implement 5 demonstration water safety plans (3 urban and 2 rural). • Activity 1.3: Design and implement training programme on DWQ management system for all levels. • Activity 1.4: Provide critical supplies and equipment for DWQ laboratory networks of the Ministry of Health. • Activity 1.5: Identify minimum household water security requirements for health protection. • Activity 1.6: Develop national policy and issue legislative policy instruments on securing supply of minimum water requirements for health. Outcome 2: Strengthened adaptive capacity for health protection and food security to climate change under water scarcity conditions The Ministry of Agriculture and the National Center for Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer (NCARTT), in cooperation with FAO and WHO, will implement the following activities: • Activity 2.1: Assess the risks from climate change and water scarcity on food productivity. • Activity 2.2: Identify and screen adaptation measures to reduce climate change impacts on food productivity. • Activity 2.3: Identify and test adaptation options and improvements of crop / livestock for increased productivity in irrigating with treated wastewater. • Activity 2.4: Design and implement community awareness campaign, with focus on women farmers, on climate change adaptation measures. • Activity 2.5: Establish model farms using treated wastewater as adaptation to climate change for capacity building. The Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) will implement the following activities in cooperation with UNESCO: • Activity 2.6: Design and implement a training programme in integrated water resources management for the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, national non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and stakeholders. • Activity 2.7: Design and implement research projects and improve database in integrated water resources management in arid and semi arid areas. • Activity 2.8: Develop water education and awareness programme focusing on curriculum, resource manuals, training of trainers and teacher-in-service training for the Ministry of Education with the close partnership of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation. • Activity 2.9: Design and establish one environmental and water resource centre for advocacy education and capacity building. • Activity 2.10: Develop a cooperative framework on the criteria for sustainable management of shared water resources including transboundary water resources. The Ministry of Health, Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ), Ministry of Water and Irrigation, and local municipalities will implement the activities below in cooperation with the WHO: • Activity 2.11: Conduct an assessment of direct and indirect risks to health from climate change • Activity 2.12: Screen and prioritize adaptation strategies, by the health sector and others to protect health from climate change • Activity 2.13: Develop and implement adaptation strategies to protect health from the negative effects of heat waves • Activity 2.14: Design adaptation projects to protect health from identified high risk environmental conditions induced by climate change • Activity 2.15: Establish a national early warning system to monitor and assess health impacts of climate change The Ministry of Environment (MOEnv), the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, the Zarqa Governorate, and local municipalities and communities with assistance from the UNDP, will implement the following activities: • Activity 2.16: Assess direct and indirect climate change risks to water availability and quality in Zarqa River Basin. • Activity 2.17: Assess opportunities and barriers to adaptation to climate change risks • Activity 2.18: Review and devise a reform strategy for legal and institutional framework approaches and tools for adaptation to climate change and IWRM in the Zarqa River basin. • Activity 2.19: Review national water policies and action plans for adaptation to climate change. • Activity 2.20: Develop local and national capacities for adaptation to climate change and IWRM using effective participatory approaches and tools • Activity 2.21: Develop, document, and share knowledge generated from Zarqa River basin on the local and national levels, and establish linkages to regional and global experiences. The sustainability of this high impact joint programme will be ensured by developing the capacity of a wide array of national counterparts (Ministries of Water and Irrigation, Agriculture, Health, Environment, and non-governmental organizations) and select local communities to integrate climate change risks into their operations, thus institutionalizing adaptation to climate change. As several countries will confront the problems of acute water scarcity and climate change that Jordan encounters today, Jordan’s experience in adaptation to climate change, and achieving and maintaining its MDG targets under conditions of severe water scarcity could provide valuable model for replication and source of lessons learnt. UNDP will seek to mobilize the UNDP global “Adaptation Learning Mechanism” to support the knowledge management component of the programme. Pilot adaptation measures implemented in Zarqa governorate will be an example to be replicated and up-scaled to national level and to other basins in the country by disseminating lessons learned and linking with decision-making processes. Vulnerability and adaptation are largely social issues. Consequently, the joint programme will ensure gender mainstreaming in adaptation policies and ensure that gender aspects and analysis are applied within the joint programme’s activities.

A detailed monitoring and evaluation plan will be developed during the detailed joint programme development stage. The baseline situation and indicators will be elaborated to allow for the measurement of the initial situation, progress and quality throughout the implementation phase. Evaluations will be conducted as part of the formal UNDAF monitoring and evaluation process. A final evaluation will be undertaken for the joint programme to assess the relevance and effectiveness of the joint programme, and measure the development impact of the results achieved and incorporate lessons learned. Below is a list of the joint programme outcomes and their associated indicators: Outcome 1: Sustained access to improved water supply sources despite increased water scarcity induced by climate change. • Indicator 1.1: No. of operational water safety plans resilient to climate change. o Baseline: there are no operational water safety plans. o Target: 5 operational water safety plans. • Indicator 1.2: Legislative instruments on the national policy on minimum water requirements for health, taking into account current climate change and variability. o Baseline: no policy on minimum water requirements for health. o Target: policy on minimum water requirements for health available. • Indicator 1.3: % of urban households with reliable access to minimum water requirements for health under climate change induced water scarcity. o Baseline: in 2004 the percent of urban households with reliable access to minimum water requirements for health was 50%. o Target: to be determined. Outcome 2: Strengthened adaptive capacity for health protection and food security to climate change under water scarcity conditions. • Indicator 2.1: No. of technical approaches developed for safe use of treated wastewater in agriculture. o Baseline: no technical approaches exist at present. o Target: 3 technical options developed for safe use of treated wastewater in agriculture. • Indicator 2.2: No. of stakeholders trained on the operational approaches. o Baseline: baseline to be developed. o Target: 2 persons per stakeholder institution and 1 person per farm to be trained. • Indicator 2.3: No. of institutionalized adaptation interventions in the health sector to protect health from climate change. o Baseline: no institutionalized adaptation interventions at present. o Target: 4 institutional adaptation interventions to protect health available. • Indicator 2.4: National strategy on protecting health from negative effects of climate change. o Baseline: there is no national strategy on protecting health from climate change. o Target: national strategy on protecting health from climate change available. • Indicator 2.5: National early warning system on health and climate change. o Baseline: there is no national early warning system on health and climate change. o Target: National early warning system on health and climate change available. • Indicator 2.6: Integrated management plan for Zarqa River basin including adaptation measures. o Baseline: Integrated water resource management plan for Zarqa River Basin that includes adaptation to climate change is not available. o Target: Integrated water resource management plan for Zarqa River Basin that includes adaptation to climate change is available. • Indicator 2.7: Adaptation to climate change mainstreamed into national action plans on water o Baseline: national action plans on water do not take adaptation to climate change into consideration. o Target: action plans for water sector includes adaptation to climate change. The organizational complexity of the joint programme, the large number of involved stakeholders, the innovative approach, and the technical complexity could form operational and organizational risks for the implementation of the joint programme. Political risks may include delays in officially passing the suggested legislative policy instruments and strategies.

The UNCT in Jordan is represented by sixteen agencies based in the country. Nine agencies are accredited to Jordan and seven have a regional mandate. UNDP, WHO, FAO, and UNESCO are working in the field of environment, health, and adaptation to climate change, and the UNU has been active in developing leadership skills in the country pertaining to environment, climate change, and adaptation issues through research and training activities. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) assists with climate change mitigation through cleaner production options, and United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) promotes environmentally sustainable towns. The aggregated expenditures of the UNCT in the field of environment and climate change adaptation over the past two years were approximately 3.5 million USD. This three year joint programme is developed and implemented by four UN agencies (FAO, UNDP, UNESCO, and WHO), all of which are core UNCT members. The WHO Centre for Environmental Health Activities (WHO-CEHA) will implement the WHO components of the joint programme. The implementation arrangements of the joint programme will be modeled after the UNDAF, where all programme interventions are aligned with national priorities and coordinated with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC). Each UN agency will implement its specific outputs according to its usual work modality with the Government. A pass-through modality will be established for financial matters with UNDP as the Administrative Agency. The national key partners for this programme are members of the National Steering Committee for Climate Change (established during the preparation of the INC and subsequently institutionalized) composed of: the Ministries of Environment, Water and Irrigation, Agriculture, Health, and Education. In addition, the UN agencies will work with major stakeholders of the programme, including the Water Authority of Jordan, water supply companies, local NGO’s, civil society and women’s groups, national research centers (NCARTT and the Royal Scientific Society), and academia. The IUCN and the UNDP Global Water Facility at the Stockholm International Water Institute are partners for the adaptation to climate change in Zarqa River Basin. Coordination of activities will be ensured during the planning and implementation phases with UNU, United Nations Higher Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR), and United Nations Relief and Works Agencies (UNRWA) activities. Coordination with international partners will be ensured through the UN Donor-Lender Sub-Groups on water and environment. The UNDAF working group (represented by at least the participating UN agencies (FAO, UNDP, UNESCO, WHO-CEHA), and the government coordinating agency (MOPIC)) will serve as the Steering Committee (SC) for this joint programme, and will also include the representative of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation in Jordan. The Steering Committee will be chaired by the United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRC) and will oversee the development of the detailed joint programme. During the implementation phase of the joint programme it will provide ongoing oversight of programme activities, as well as make management decisions on a consensus basis for the joint programme when guidance is required. A Thematic Advisory Group (TAG) will be established to guide the joint programme’s technical development and facilitate information sharing among the involved stakeholders. TAG’s members would include the UN agencies, in addition to key partners of the programme (Ministries of Environment, Water and Irrigation, Health, Education, Agriculture, and Planning and International Cooperation, as well as IUCN) and will be chaired by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation. Thematic sub-groups may be established if deemed necessary. One joint programme manager and three agency output managers will be recruited. The joint programme manager will be based at the UNDP as the Administrative Agency and will also act as the output manager for the UNDP output. The joint programme manager will be accountable to the UNCT and report to the Steering Committee. The joint programme manager will coordinate with the output managers of FAO, UNESCO, and WHO. Detailed terms of reference for programme board, advisory steering committee, joint programme manager, and output managers will be developed during the development of the detailed joint programme document.

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C. MDG-Related Indicators

  • Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
  • 30. Proportion of population with sustainable access to an improved water source, urban and rural
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D. Formulation Advance

Yes
$20,000
UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
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E. Resident Coordinator's Undertakings

  • The Concept Note has been reviewed by the national government and the UN Country Team.
  • If approved by the MDG-F Steering Committee, the UN Participating Organizations undertake to submit a draft Joint Programme Document within eight weeks of notification.
  • All UN Participating Organizations have or will sign the global Memorandum of Understanding with the Multi-Donor Trust Fund Office.