Jordan is already under extreme pressure, as climate change upends previous certainties of stability in the region. Jordan has been a bastion of stability and resilience in the Middle East for decades. After decades of bad environmental policy, it is now reaping the harsh consequences of environmental degradation. Climate change impacts are not confined to the same local boundaries. They reverberate throughout the Middle East, Europe, and beyond, positioning Jordan as an essential focal point for addressing climate-related hardships.
Climate change has become one of the central drivers eroding Jordan’s stability, a fact that has received far too little media coverage. The country has taken in over 700,000 refugees who have fled fighting that has engulfed the region. Moreover, it has assumed the indispensable function of negotiator and peace maker among competing power cliques. Yet the ongoing humanitarian crises have pushed even the most critical environmental issues, such as extreme water shortages and economic insecurity, to the sidelines. This article explores Jordan’s climate crisis. It further calls on the media to take part in the conversation, stressing that there is no time like the present for a greater commitment to climate journalism.
The Environmental Landscape of Jordan
Jordan is currently grappling with a severe water crisis, that many experts have described as the worst in the world. Concluding the gravity of the situation, Raed Abu Soud, Jordan’s Minister of Water and Irrigation has said: Additionally, climate change is making water availability increasingly uncertain and threatens agricultural productivity, he said. With droughts increasing in frequency and severity, the country’s already scarce water resources are pushed to the brink.
Jordan’s location puts the country at extreme risk to climate change impacts. The effects of severe temperature fluctuations and sudden weather events, such as tornadoes, affect both city and community. These environmental factors are aggravated by economic underdevelopment, which has resulted in long-term unemployment and social turmoil. This instability brings its own dangerous threats not just to Jordan, but to the security of the entire region.
Jordan has been further tested as the buffer for those fleeing from war-torn areas, notably Syria and Palestine. This role complicates the nation’s predicament. The suddenness of the influx of refugees has stressed resources making it a challenge for the government to place a priority on climate adaptation strategies. Now, too often, the climate change conversation is overtaken by pressing humanitarian priorities. This troubling shift in focus makes it more difficult for our country to plan intelligently for the challenges of the future.
The Media’s Role in Climate Discourse
As bad as climate realities are in Jordan, climate journalists are hard to find in the country. This gap in coverage is part of a troubling trend throughout the Middle East, where climate rarely gets the attention it deserves. In Jordan, there are only a handful of committed journalists who regularly produce stories related to climate issues. A huge chasm in public awareness and understanding of these topics remains.
Jordanian media frequently portrays the country as a “second victim” in conflicts. From illustrating the effects of crises such as the Syrian civil war and the Israel-Palestine conflict, climate change is frequently pushed to the background for the sake of other, more immediate geopolitical dangers. As of 2023, this trend has accelerated. Media coverage has rightfully centered the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, causing conversations about environmental justice to take a back seat.
This lack of dedicated climate journalism dramatically skews our understanding of climate change. Nowadays, many consider it to be a mere offshoot of other crises. Discussions about designing a built environment that prioritizes environmental sustainability too easily become an afterthought instead of being viewed as an integral issue to address head on. This omission makes it impossible to effectively communicate with the public about climate risks, further sabotaging attempts to involve the public in thoughtful discussion.
The Importance of International Collaboration
Jordan’s policy making around climate change discourse is very much shaping by his international partners, as with foreign governments and foreign charities. Collaborations help provide much-needed resources and funding. At the same time, they can unintentionally drown out local voices that have a better understanding of the specific challenges their Jordanian communities face. Yet this external narrative reliance ends up weakening the urgency of a local perspective on climate impacts.
To inspire and lead progress on solving its climate challenges, Jordan needs to empower climate discourse in its unique media environment. This would mean more training for journalists to address these issues’ fullness and complexity. By creating an informed public dialogue on climate risks, Jordan can make itself better equipped to address these issues before they worsen.
Additionally, enhancing collaboration between local media and international organizations could yield richer reporting that reflects both global perspectives and local realities. This focus will deepen all of our reporting, tackling the central issue of our times—climate change. Perhaps most importantly, it will equip Jordanian citizens to participate more productively in conversations that will determine their future.