Climate change exacerbates the impacts of population growth. It has been primarily affecting the sustainable development of Jordan’s water and agriculture sectors. The vulnerability currently present in the different areas across the Jordanian economy is heavily impacting the country’s strategic water reserves and resulting in the depletion of its water resources. As a result, the impact of water scarcity in Jordan would negatively hinder agricultural productions since water is an integral part towards continual cultivation of crops. Consequently, project developers and stakeholders in Jordan should focus on projects that can alleviate some of the burdens in these critical areas. Think tanks can facilitate national dialogue and lead the transition to a “To-do tank” that can improve Jordan’s resiliency to of the direct and indirect impacts of climate change.

One of the most promising projects that are currently being implemented in Jordan is hydroponic farming, which is the process of growing plants without using soil and utilizing mineral nutrient solutions instead. The technology was introduced in Jordan, in 2016 when initiatives such as the Green Hub was launched. In the desert town of Azraq in northeast Jordan, Rania -Al Ofair, adapted a method of cultivating her crops through spraying the seeds with water to grow the dry food that she later on used for feeding her livestock. Al Ofair was not the only one using this technology in Jordan, as a pilot was also introduced in Al-Bereeh’s society in Al-Balqa governorate. Supported by the UNDP, and funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and Goal WASH (a UNDP initiative aiming to enhance the performance of the water sector), the pilot proved the effectiveness of the process, which helps in reducing the issues related to lack of arable land and water scarcity in one of the world’s driest countries.

Through the adaptation of hydroponic farming practices, integrated farming exercises ensures a reduction of water consumption by 90% according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Combined with rainwater harvesting systems hydroponic farming could transform Jordan’s agricultural sector and expedite growth periods also generate higher yields.   

The technology, however, is presented with its own set of challenges, and requires a substantial amount of capital cost and technological advancements that are not readily available in the Jordanian market. However, the Government of Jordan efforts have been promising in helping to ease the transitional periods for the farmers by introducing a training program launched by the Ministry of Agriculture, where 100 farmers are taught hydroponic farming techniques. They have also positively introduced several incubators for multiple governorates. Initiatives such as the Green-Hub, are also spreading across schools in Jordan., aiming to encourage future generations to understand the importance of technologies such as hydroponic farming. This can become a catalyst to facilitate the transition towards a greener economy that not only ease the impact of climate changes but conserves remaining natural landscapes and improve biodiversity benefits in the Kingdom.