Amman, Jordan
An influx of refugees in Jordan’s bustling capital amplifies the need to address aging infrastructure and flooding.
Amman’s Resilience Journey
The city of Amman released its Resilience Strategy on May 18, 2017.
Amman is one of the Middle East’s most thriving metropolises. It is the political, cultural, and commercial center of Jordan and a thriving regional economic powerhouse. Unfortunately, it is also now host to waves of refugees who have fled regional conflicts over the past two decades. This influx has put pressure on the city’s infrastructure and its ability to deliver basic services. While it boasts well-managed road, tunnel, and bridge infrastructure, there are few reliable public transport alternatives, forcing residents to rely heavily on cars.
Amman also faces climate-related challenges: unusually heavy rains often lead to flooding in lower-lying areas of the city, and its elevation exposes it to hazardous blizzards. Recent snow storms have paralyzed the city, affecting schools, transportation and the power grid. The city has responded to these disruptions by establishing protocols for emergency operations, including rapid-response communications centers and elaborate community coordination processes.
Amman’s Resilience Strategy
Executive Summary
Amman is one of the Middle East’s thriving metropolises.
It is the political, cultural, and commercial center of Jordan and a successful regional economic powerhouse. Amman is home to around 4 million residents, more than 42% of Jordan’s total population.
As a city that has grown rapidly and adapted to accommodate large migrant populations throughout its history, we are already familiar with the concept of resilience. But as other pressures such as climate change, lack of economic diversity, and resource constraints increase, we are now facing new challenges for which we must prepare.
The comprehensive five pillar strategy aims to address all aspects of life and the needs of the city. It was developed with a wide participation by all stakeholders from both public and private sectors, local and international civil society organizations, youth, academia and others who met to discuss the city’s future and draw a road map based on its potential. This strategy that we present to Ammanis, addresses transforming our challenges into opportunities to develop our city together and ensure the well-being of our people, children and future generations.
An Integrated and Smart City
Inadequate Mobility and Transportation system form a major environmental, economic and social challenge for Amman. The decline in attractiveness of public transport as a travel option led people to depend more and more on private car ownership causing chronic congestions and expand demand on parking. This is not a sustainable solution and money and time consuming especially for the underprivileged population.
Due to extensive increase in population during the last decade and the expansion of urban areas; it is essential to update Amman’s Transportation and Mobility Master Plan taking into account these major changes. We need a more efficient smart mass transport network/systems. This should include demand management measures, making the road network more modern, more responsive and thus more efficient.
Another of the major issues in Amman is the dominance of cars in the streets causing increased traffic congestion and air pollution. Walking culture is almost non-existent, due to the lack of basic infrastructure such as safe sidewalks and pedestrian crossings. We want to take advantage of our weather to promote walking for all, especially the most vulnerable in society. This will link with our cultural assets, adventure tourism, and the digital economy for the youth.
Amman’s growth is a result of a number of factors including rural urban migration, concentration of economic activity and services in the capital but most impoortantly the influx of refguees from the surrounding countries. We aim to institutionalize urban planning in the city to allow for a sustainable growth for the future.
Acceleration in the uptake of digital technologies and rapid innovation is reshaping the way people live in cities. We need to ensure that both help Amman function better. Approximately 95% of Jordanians own mobile phones and there is a 53% internet usage rate. We aim to make digital technologies integral to the city’s processes to inform an integrated approach to city planning, service delivery and decision making but also to boost our digital economy and create employment opportunities. We aim to mobilize our citizens, youth and businesses to be part of a Smarter Amman.
An Environmentally Proactive City
We will enhance the city’s capacity for climate change mitigation and adaptation. This includes meeting the city’s commitments made during the COP21 climate change negotiations in Paris and ongoing work with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. Improving integrated planning will help us to protect the environment and reduce the impact of climate change on our city. This will help to create new job opportunities, support the economy, and enhance citizens’ wellbeing.
Jordan’s dependence on foreign energy sources is amongst the highest in the world, with 96% of the country’s energy coming from imported oil and natural gas from neighboring Middle Eastern countries. Reliance on foreign imports is a significant burdemon the national economy. New approaches to energy generation are needed to help move to a safe and sustainable low carbon economy and increase energy security.
To accommodate increasing resource scarcity, climate change impacts, increasing population, and poor economic development, the city must look to clean and efficient energy resources and green solutions.
Water scarcity is amongst Jordan’s most critical issues. To control water consumption, at present, water is delivered only once a week to citizens and businesses. Demand is also intensifying due to the increasing needs of those displaced by Syria’s civil war. The Red -Dead Canal is expected to be operational by 2022, helping to bridge the gap between our current water resource and demand.
Finally, waste management is an important strategic goal for Amman. A core objective is to improve GAM’s capacity for planning and management of municipal solid waste services including enhanced cost effectiveness through private sector involvement, where feasible. Updating legislation, increasing knowledge, and improving, physical assets and infrastructure will strengthen the operational, financial, and environmental performance of the waste management system in Amman.
An Innovative and Prosperous City
Jordan is one of the best educated countries in the Arab world with a literacy rate at 93.3% distributed equally amongst men and women. With a 15% total unemployment rate, of which 29% is amongst our youth, we need to limit brain drain and have a greater emphasis on knowledge-based economy to provide better employment opportunities for highly educated citizens including the youth and migrants.
Jordan lacks the natural resources but is filling this gap by investing in its human capital. With one of the best educated countries in the Arab world and high internet connectivity in the region, Amman is an ideal place for entrepreneurs and tech start-ups. We want to support entrepreneurs using the municipal assets and network to allow them to transform their ideas into viable businesses.
Despite the high education achievement in Jordan, women’s participation in the work force remains modest at 14%. The public sector is the preferred place for women to find employment opportunities due mainly to its flexibility. We want to empower the home makers and working women and give them incentives to participate in Amman’s workforce.
A Young and Equal City
Amman has a large youth population. This goal aims to build an inclusive and empowered youth community who are engaged in key city issues, and involved in decision-making and governance to create the leaders of tomorrow.
We need to inspire and celebrate an engaged and culturally diverse youth population. This goal will capitalize on our youth’s potential and ensure young people have the opportunities they need to learn, work together and build a strong, resilient future city. This goal focuses on youth empowerment, awareness and cross-sector networking.
A United and Proud City
Amman has a proud history of cultural diversity but lacks a strong outwardfacing brand. This goal aims to celebrate our heritage and diversity, strengthen the social fabric of the city, and bring people together around a united understanding of what it is to be Ammani. This goal also promotes justice, equality, and citizenship.
Bridge the gap between Amman’s institutions and the citizens. Engage people in decision-making through dialog, transparency, and equality for all genders.
