Attachments
Adam-Bradford, A.; Schindler, Alexandra; Anagreh, Abdullah; Ruckstuhl, Sandra
In the last decade, Irbid Governorate has experienced rapid urbanization from mountain villages and border towns to the governorate capital itself. Irbid is a rapidly expanding city that has doubled its population since the onset of the Syrian War. The local authorities face immense challenges as they cope with these changes. To compound matters, the region is prone to water scarcity and is feeling the full brunt of climate change and its impacts on food, land and water systems, along with localized risks from flash flooding in Irbid and border towns such as Ramtha. If left unchecked, negative synergies arise, as rapid urban growth from forced displacement places additional pressures on urban infrastructure and an already climate-stressed natural resource base (see Figure 1). It is within this dynamic context that we present the multiple challenges from climate change, urbanization and forced displacement, because understanding these linkages and the associated impacts is key to developing durable solutions that when combined can lead to resilient futures. This research, endorsed by the Ministry of Environment in Jordan and the Irbid Governorate, will support evidence-based design and the implementation of the Jordanian climate adaptation policy.