Amman, Jordan: Amman Climate Academy and Park

About

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.

Context

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.

Action

The Greater Amman Municipality is constructing a public park and establishing the city’s first Children’s Climate Academy to teach Amman’s youngest generation about environmental stewardship. 

Amman is rehabilitating an open space within Al-Hussein Refugee Camp to build an accessible, climate-adaptive, and age- and gender-responsive public park. 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. 

Within the park, Amman is establishing its first ever Children’s Climate Academy. The academy will conduct hands-on workshops for children on climate change and environmental stewardship. Topics of instruction will include the sustainable development goals, the greenhouse effect, sea-level rise, and air pollution. 

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.

Impact

Stay tuned for more impact updates at the end of Amman’s GCF grant term!