Amman, Jordan: Amman Climate Academy and Park

In 2023, the City of Amman, Jordan, was selected as a grantee of the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees (GCF), the MMC’s instrument to channel international funding directly to cities to implement inclusive projects of their own design. 

With support from the GCF, the City of Amman is promoting refugee social inclusion and bolstering its climate resilience by constructing an accessible and climate-smart public park for refugee and Jordanian children. The park will feature the city’s first ever climate academy to teach Amman’s youngest residents about environmental stewardship.

Jordan is home to over three million refugees and migrants, predominantly from Syria, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq. Over 200,000 Syrian refugees reside in greater Amman, more than Jordan’s two largest refugee camps combined. 

Simultaneously, climate change is a critical challenge for Amman. The city is vulnerable to extreme water scarcity, heat waves, landslides, and flash floods, which damage key infrastructure and can cause displacement. Water, air, and soil pollution and other forms of environmental degradation also present a serious threat to the health and well-being of Amman’s residents, especially children and the elderly.

The Greater Amman Municipality established the city’s first Children’s Climate Academy, which will teach Amman’s youngest generation about environmental stewardship. Once its doors open to the public, the Academy will offer hands-on workshops on topics such as the sustainable development goals, the greenhouse-gas effect, sea-level rise, and air pollution. The Academy’s physical infrastructure reflects its climate education goals: the facility is energy efficient and was built using sustainable materials.

The Children’s Climate Academy is located at Maysaloon Park within the Al-Hussein Refugee Camp. As of early 2026, Amman is rehabilitating the park to build an accessible, climate-adaptive, and age- and gender-responsive public space for refugee and Jordanian children to play and rest. The park will incorporate green infrastructure, such as shade structures, vegetation and green cover, permeable surfaces to reduce water runoff, and flood-prevention mechanisms. In addition to a children’s playground, reading area, sports pitches, and walking paths, the park will also feature shaded areas where caregivers can rest and relax. 

The Children’s Climate Academy and Park will provide a safe and welcoming space for refugee and Jordanian children to play, interact, and learn while cultivating a culture of environmental stewardship and inclusive climate action.

Amman used its GCF grant to open the city’s inaugural Children’s Climate Academy, creating a functional educational space for children to learn about climate change and sustainability. In its first year, the Academy will engage and educate over 250 children, developing a tailored curriculum that is accessible to Jordanian and refugee youth, alike.