Amman, April 26 (Petra) --- The second phase of consultative sessions aimed at promoting climate-smart agriculture began on Sunday across the governorates of Madaba, Karak, Tafilah, and Ma’an. The initiative is part of a broader project to build climate resilience in Jordan by improving water efficiency in the agricultural sector.

The project is funded by the Green Climate Fund and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with ministries of Water and Irrigation, Agriculture, and Environment, along with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

According to an FAO statement, these sessions seek to review the outcomes of the project's first phase and gather feedback from participating agricultural associations. The sessions also serve to introduce newly joined associations to the objectives of the second phase and the logistics of an upcoming training program.

The project employs a participatory approach, involving local stakeholders in the design of interventions to ensure they meet actual community needs and maximize on-the-ground impact.

Key achievements from the first phase were highlighted during the meetings, including the completion of specialized training in climate-smart agriculture. Participants discussed challenges faced by local associations, particularly in water management, operational costs, and marketing, to extract lessons for future implementation.

In this next stage, participating associations will nominate trainees based on specific criteria to ensure that those selected can effectively transfer knowledge and apply sustainable techniques within their local communities.

Representatives from cooperative and charitable societies provided recommendations during the sessions to help refine the upcoming stages of the program.

The $33.25 million project is part of a strategic effort by the FAO and its partners to prepare local communities for climate change through practical training and feedback-driven programming. It specifically targets the Dead Sea basin governorates, which are among the areas most affected by water scarcity, aiming to enhance the resilience of Jordan’s water management systems and agricultural productivity.

//Petra// AF