The “Jahez Project – Building Refugee and Host Community Resilience in Jordan” has launched its field kickoff workshop in Irbid Municipality. The event aimed to enhance stakeholder participation and consult on local community priorities.
The workshop served as a platform for dialogue and the exchange of visions, featuring opening remarks, a presentation on the project’s goals, approach, and community engagement strategy, in addition to interactive discussions focused on the criteria for selecting targeted communities and defining their priorities to reflect their actual needs.
Key Highlights from the Opening Remarks
Opening remarks emphasized local priorities and the critical importance of cooperation:
His Excellency Dr. Rami Obaidat (Assistant Governor of Irbid) stressed the necessity of unifying efforts and exchanging expertise between the public and private sectors.
His Excellency Mr. Emad Al Azzam (Chairman of the Irbid Greater Municipality Committee) highlighted the importance of adopting Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to mitigate the effects of climate change. He affirmed that the municipality’s focus on addressing climate change impacts requires effective partnerships that bring together national institutions, research centers, youth, and civil society organizations, ensuring the alignment of efforts and the development of practical, sustainable solutions that enhance the community’s capacity for adaptation and genuine resilience against environmental challenges.
Eng. Ruba Al Zoubi (Energy, Climate, and Environment Officer for the Levant – representing the Donor) addressed the significance of building resilience within refugee communities.
Project Overview and Strategy
Mr. Jeremy Stone (Project Director, International Water Management Institute – IWMI) provided an introductory overview of the project, its goals, expected outcomes, and scope of work.
Eng. Alaa Humaidan (Project Coordinator, IWMI) explained the project’s integrated participatory approach, clarifying the expected roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, municipalities, and community leaders, detailing the local context in Irbid and the intervention opportunities of the Jahez Project to enhance local community resilience.
Eng. Doaa Aldeerbany (CEO, Climate Action Network – CAN) presented the planned activities and the community engagement strategy, along with clarifying the approach for selecting community sites.
This workshop represents an official starting point for implementing project activities in the pilot sites. It also serves as a tool to confirm local climate risks, enhance coordination in disaster risk reduction (DRR), and set a roadmap, clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the various parties. Thus, the Jahez Project marks a practical step towards creating more prepared and resilient communities in the face of climate and environmental challenges.
