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