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International Programs

Jordan

picture of jordan

Under the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement, EPA supports the environmental efforts of the Kingdom of Jordan by enhancing enforcement and compliance with environmental laws and regulations, and increasing public awareness of environmental challenges and solutions. The activities conducted in Jordan fall under the Building Strong Environmental Institutions and Legal Structures priority, one of EPA’s six International Priorities.

In Jordan, EPA provides technical assistance and training to:

      • the Jordanian Ministry of Environment Exit EPA disclaimer;
      • the Royal Department for Environmental Protection, also known as the "Royal Rangers" (an Environmental Police Department); and
      • the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) Exit EPA disclaimer. The RSCN is an independent, not-for-profit Jordanian NGO dedicated to the protection and care of Jordan’s wild plants, animals, and natural landscapes. The organization seeks to conserve biodiversity in Jordan while also encouraging socio-economic growth.

The United States-Jordan Free Trade Area Agreement (FTA) entered into force on December 17, 2001.

Final Text of the Agreement

EPA has been working with the Kingdom of Jordan for a number of years, but EPA’s involvement increased significantly in 2008, when it signed an Interagency Agreement with U.S.AID, which provided funding to support this effort. Currently, EPA is working with USAID to continue engagement in Jordan. For more information on the U.S.AID-Jordan mission, please visit http://jordan.usaid.gov/.


Explore our work in Jordan:

ACTIVITIES IN JORDAN:

 

Environmental Enforcement Training

EPA experts worked with the Jordan Ministry of Environment and the Royal Rangers to provide trainings for inspectors, criminal investigators, and Judges. Each training session was delivered in a train-the-trainer format, which allowed Jordan to re-deliver the trainings without the assistance of EPA. Training courses included the following:

Study tour participants conduct a mock inspection of a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Inspector Training
  • Topics: Goals of environmental compliance; role of the inspector; inspection planning; inspector health and safety; collecting evidence; protection and control; and documenting inspections.
  • View Training Agenda
  • Read the article in The Jordan Times
Environmental Litigation for Judges
  • Topics: Introduction to environmental law for judges; interactive seminar including a mock trial, including participation by judges, prosecutors and representatives from the Environmental Rangers, MoEnv, and RSCN.
  • View Training Agenda
Criminal Environmental Investigation Training
  • Topics: Development and stages of environmental investigation; evidence gathering and search warrants; environmental crime scene management – sampling and evidence procedures; media-specific techniques and concerns.
  • View Training Agenda
Train-the-Trainer
  • Topics: Training, communication, and facilitation techniques

National Inspection Action Plan for industrial activities in Jordan

EPA is assisting with a pilot project of Jordan’s Ministry of Environment, initiated in 2010, focused on the development and implementation of a National Inspection Action Plan for industrial activities in Jordan. The project is also working to create the institutional, legislative, and technical support for a National Inspection Plan.

The National Inspection Plan will establish environmental profiles for industries in Jordan by using tools such as a GIS-based Eco-Map.

 


Study Tours to the U.S

At JFK Airport, study tour participants observe physical inspections of shipments, and document inspections of import/export permits.

In 2008 and 2010, Jordanian officials from the Ministry of Environment, the Environmental Rangers, RSCN, and the Judicial Institute of Jordan (JIJ), traveled to the U.S. to take part in two separate Study Tours to learn about the U.S. environmental enforcement and compliance system.

The 2008 tour was co-hosted by U.S. EPA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service. Jordanian and U.S. officials engaged in candid and informative discussions about environmental enforcement and compliance. The delegation was able to experience firsthand different approaches taken in the U.S. related to addressing pollution and preserving green spaces.

In 2010, EPA hosted another study tour for the Jordanians, in conjunction with officials from Chile’s Ministry of Environment’s Superintendent of Environment. Participants exchanged information with U.S. Prosecutors and Judges on the U.S. legal system through interviews and by viewing an oral argument of EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board. Participants also had discussions with EPA’s enforcement office on its compliance database, including use of GIS and production of reports; and consultations on public participation in environmental decision making.


The Russeifah Landfill

Located near Amman, the Russeifah Landfill was used for phosphate mining from 1963 to the mid 1980s. Since then, the site has been left abandoned, with no fencing of the hazardous piles of phosphate left by the mining companies. The site eventually turned into a landfill, with regular dumping of a variety of materials, including animal carcasses, and tire fires creating thick, oily smoke.

EPA staff helped to develop plans for a site remediation and identified steps needed to clean up the site, including ways to limit groundwater contamination and close off the landfill. Activities to continue this site remediation are currently underway.

KEY PARTNERS

Ministry of Environment (under construction in English) Exit EPA disclaimer USAID Jordan Mission
Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature Exit EPA disclaimer US Embassy Jordan

LEARN MORE ABOUT JORDAN




Back to: EPA's Programs in the Middle East

Contacts

For additional information on EPA's work in the Middle East, contact:

Shereen Kandil
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of International and Tribal Affairs (2650R)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
E-mail: kandil.shereen@epa.gov
(202) 564-6433

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