The Sustainable Production and Utilization of Agro-natural Resources (SPUAR) initiative
| Introduction | The Government of Italy and FAO, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture of Jordan, launched a project to increase the resilience of vulnerable communities in Jordan. Funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, the SPUAR initiative aims to improve their management of natural resources, by providing them new skills and climate-smart technologies. |
|---|---|
| Country | Italy Jordan |
| Start date | 01/01/2022 |
| Status | Ongoing |
| Donor | Italy |
| Objective / Goal | The initiative targets vulnerable communities and their access to socio-economic infrastructures in the governorate of Ma’an, which is the largest in Jordan and, according to the Jordanian Department of Statistics, one of the poorest in the country, with a poverty ratio of 27 percent. |
| Beneficiaries | Jordan |
| Activities | Italy and FAO are joining efforts to counteract the impact of land degradation, drought and desertification in Jordan, through sustainable natural resource management. This project is aligned with various priorities of FAO and the Government of Jordan’s Country Programing Framework, specifically with priority 2 (Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources Management) and priority 3 (Resilience of rural and peri-urban livelihoods). |
| Impact | FAO will improve irrigation water use efficiency and productivity, and strengthen the capacities of stakeholders in scaling up and improving community-based natural resource management technologies and practices. This includes the supply of relevant climate-smart technological inputs that enhance the agricultural productivity and competitiveness of crops and livestock. In the process, FAO will focus on crosscutting issues such as gender and climate change. The SPUAR initiative aims at establishing a sustainable enterprise using agro-natural resources (land, water, and vegetation) available in the targeted governorate. Within the coming two years, the project will target a total of 120 households (660 people), including female-headed households, youth and people with disabilities. Actions will include building rooftop water harvesting systems and providing beneficiaries with food processing equipment. In addition, a capacity building programme will equip beneficiaries with the necessary skills to maximize the use of their agro-natural resources and enhance their livelihood. Besides improved food security and income-generation opportunities, the project will result in soil and water conservation thanks to more sustainable management, and will ultimately contribute to empowering rural communities. |
| Contact |
[email protected] (FAO Jordan office) |
| SDG(S) |