Jordan – UK partners for initiative to enhance climate predictions, weather warnings

AMMAN — The UK announced its support for the Government of Jordan's climate ambitions through the Jahez (Ready) Project. This initiative, part of the Climate-Refugee Nexus Initiative, launched by King Abdullah II at COP27, aims to build resilience for climate change in Jordan, according to a statement for The Jordan Times.

Officials from the UK Meteorological Office visited Jordan from the 28th of April to the 1st of May to discuss with the Jordan Meteorological Office, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Water, and other partners, how to deliver weather warnings, weather forecasts and longer term climate predictions more usefully to the people who need them. 

Jordan is a climate risk hotspot and has one of the scarcest renewable water resources per capita in the world. 

The project will focus on how best to use available data and forecasts to deliver the information effectively, considering the diverse needs of the different sectors, according to the statement.

Different people need different types of forecasts. The governments and planning authorities need long term climate change predictions to enable them to plan housing and infrastructure; farmers need long term predictions to plan their field use, medium term forecasts to plan their seasonal crops, and shorter term forecasts to enable them to plan their irrigation and harvesting.  Those in housing which might be flooded need the warning a few days in advance; drivers need the very short term forecasts we all listen to daily, delivered in the way that best enables them to avoid problems.  

The project will also focus on solutions to reduce the impacts of the climate change which can be predicted, such as extreme heat, drought and flooding, ground water depletion and restoration of soil and vegetation to rehabilitate watersheds and agricultural production for host and refugee communities, the statement said.

The British Ambassador said that “All of us need climate predictions and weather forecasts to plan our lives and, sometimes, to take urgent action to avoid problems. I welcome the Jahez (Ready) Project which will see British and Jordanian organisations working together to improve predictions, forecasts and warnings.”