Amman, Nov. 13 (Petra)-- Minister of Environment Ayman Suleiman stressed that addressing climate change requires a comprehensive and integrated approach involving all national institutions and local authorities, alongside effective coordination to strengthen the ability of cities and communities to adapt to climate impacts and build more resilient and sustainable systems.
Suleiman made the remarks on Thursday during his participation in a high-level dialogue titled "Urban Resilience, Adaptation and Climate Action", organised by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) on the sidelines of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), held in Antalya, Türkiye.
He highlighted Jordan's efforts to prepare and adopt its updated third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), which embraces a comprehensive economic approach that integrates climate considerations into key sectors, including energy, transport, water, agriculture, waste management, human settlements and infrastructure.
The updated contribution places particular emphasis on adaptation measures and strengthening urban resilience across their economic, social and environmental dimensions, he said.
Suleiman outlined three main pillars underpinning Jordan's approach to addressing climate change: strengthening institutional coordination and integration among government entities and aligning efforts and priorities; adopting an integrated, cross-sectoral approach linking economic, social and environmental dimensions; and enhancing implementation through institutional capacity-building, improving data availability and its use in decision-making, and securing sustainable funding sources to support climate plans and measures.
He emphasised that climate resilience cannot be achieved through national policies alone or isolated local interventions, but requires an integrated coordination framework bringing together all sectoral institutions and local authorities under a shared vision that defines responsibilities, aligns priorities and ensures complementary roles.
The challenge, he added, is no longer limited to identifying the necessary climate action measures, but also extends to developing institutional arrangements and implementation capacities that enable various stakeholders to work together effectively and on a wider scale.
He stressed the importance of moving from planning to implementation, strengthening partnerships and providing the necessary resources to ensure the sustainability of climate interventions.
Suleiman reaffirmed Jordan's commitment to further developing its national approach to adaptation and resilience, as well as actively participating in international efforts to build cities and communities better equipped to withstand the impacts of climate change and achieve a sustainable future.
//Petra// MF
