Amman, Oct 15 (Petra) - Jordan’s Higher Population Council (HPC) has called for an overhaul of land-use legislation and planning frameworks to address demographic imbalances and unlock the economic potential of rural areas, saying the reforms are vital to empowering rural women and safeguarding food security.

In a statement marking the International Day of Rural Women and the World Food Day, the council said the two observances are closely linked, as rural women form the backbone of agricultural and food production systems across the Kingdom.

The council noted that under the Economic Modernization Vision’s implementation plan, the Ministry of Local Administration has been assigned to revise the Land-Use Regulation System, update the national land-use map, and review the Cities and Villages Planning Law and its related bylaws.

It said the proposed legal reforms would help preserve arable land, particularly in Jordan’s northern and western regions, strengthen rural household economies, and expand women’s participation in agricultural value chains, while also curbing unplanned urban expansion and easing population pressures on cities.

Jordan, it added, continues to treat agriculture as a strategic pillar of macroeconomic stability and food resilience, implementing initiatives such as the National Food Security Council, the National Seed Bank, and new Cooperative and Agricultural Risk Mitigation Fund laws enacted in 2025.

The council highlighted deep demographic and spatial disparities, noting that only 8% of the population resides in the southern governorates, which account for half of Jordan’s land and most of its natural resources, while 92% of citizens are concentrated in the north a distribution it said inflates real estate prices, strains infrastructure, and exacerbates environmental stress.

It emphasized that empowering rural women requires protecting farmland from urban encroachment, calling it a "gateway to poverty reduction, food self-sufficiency, and sustainable rural growth." //Petra// AA