Forest Fires in Ajloun: From Disaster to a Green Renaissance
March 14, 2026
By Heba Almustafa
In the vast landscape of Jordan’s reform agenda, where economic modernization meets the urgent need for sustainability, one powerful force shapes the nation’s future: women. Often overlooked yet essential to progress, their role in climate action is crucial for building a greener, more resilient Jordan.
Across rural villages, sunbaked agricultural fields, and busy urban neighborhoods, women face the toughest impacts of climate change. However, they also hold the keys to its solutions. From carefully managing household water supplies to growing sustainable crops and raising environmental awareness in their communities, Jordanian women represent the human side of climate resilience. Their knowledge, determination, and leadership do not just respond to crises; they drive lasting change. When women lead, the future thrives.
Climate Change: A Gendered Crisis
According to UN Women, women and girls make up 80% of those displaced by climate-related disasters worldwide. In Jordan, one of the world’s most water-scarce countries, the burden of resource scarcity weighs heavily on women, especially in rural and refugee-hosting areas. When droughts become severe or water sources dry up, it is often women who travel longer distances to secure supplies, ration household use, and protect food security.
Her words reflect the reality for many Jordanian women. While dealing with climate stress, they also face limited access to land ownership, agricultural inputs, and financial resources. According to Jordan’s Department of Statistics, only about 6% of rural women own agricultural land, even though they make up nearly half of the agricultural workforce.
These gaps limit not only women’s economic potential but also the country’s ability to adapt sustainably.
Women and the Green Economy
Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision, launched in 2022, outlines an ambitious plan for a “productive, sustainable, and inclusive economy” by 2033. This vision focuses on growing green industries, renewable energy, and climate-smart agriculture, all of which require innovation, new skills, and involvement from both genders.
A 2024 World Bank report estimates that closing the gender gap in labor participation could boost Jordan’s GDP by up to 25%. In the green sector, women’s participation is crucial for achieving sustainable results, whether in renewable energy, eco-tourism, or environmental journalism.
Barriers to Participation
Despite some progress in policy, structural barriers remain. Women, especially in rural and refugee communities, still struggle with limited access to financing, education, and decision-making roles. Only 14% of Jordanian women are in municipal councils, and even fewer hold leadership positions in environmental agencies or green industries.
In agriculture, where women are vital, many are stuck in informal or unpaid jobs. A 2023 FAO report found that female farmers in Jordan earn, on average, 40% less than male farmers for similar work. The absence of gender-sensitive climate policies worsens these disparities, making it harder for women to adapt to environmental challenges like drought, land degradation, and heatwaves.
Stories from the Ground
In northern Jordan near Ajloun, Um Rawan, a small-scale farmer and mother of four, tends her family’s olive grove. It was once a thriving source of income. However, changing rainfall patterns have disrupted her harvests.
“We used to rely on winter rain to fill our wells,” she says. “Now we buy water every week, and the cost keeps rising.”
With support from a local women’s cooperative, she joined a training program on rainwater harvesting and organic composting.
“We learned how to make better use of what we have,” she smiles. “It’s not easy, but we’re finding ways to manage. Climate change affects us first, but it also pushes us to think differently.”
Her story reflects the experiences of many women who turn challenges into innovation, often with limited resources. These quiet acts of resilience show the untapped potential that Jordan’s modernization vision aims to unlock.
The Way Forward: Integrating Gender and Climate Policy
Experts agree that gender-responsive climate policy must shift from words to actions by including women at every level of climate decision-making, from national frameworks to local adaptation projects.
Jordan’s National Climate Change Policy (2022–2050) recognizes gender inclusion as a strategic goal. However, turning that commitment into real actions, such as dedicated funding, mentorship programs, and leadership pipelines, is still a work in progress.
“Women’s representation in climate leadership must go beyond token participation,” says Lilian Haddad, an environmental policy specialist and co-founder of Eco Youth for Training and Development. “When women help design and implement solutions, the results are more sustainable, fair, and community-focused. They bring perspectives based on care, resilience, and long-term thinking, which is exactly what climate policy needs.”
Empowerment through Education and Media
Empowerment starts with awareness. Across Jordan, new initiatives are raising women’s voices in environmental storytelling and advocacy. Programs like Eco-Media Jordan, led by She Grows for Development, train young female journalists to produce investigative and solutions-based reports on climate and sustainability. By highlighting women’s perspectives, these initiatives are changing public discussions and influencing environmental policy.
Education remains crucial. Expanding access to STEM and environmental studies for girls, along with vocational training in renewable energy and sustainable agriculture, is essential to achieving the EMV’s vision for a green economy.
Conclusion: Toward an Inclusive Green Future
Jordan is at a crossroads. As climate change deepens its impact, the nation urgently needs action based on justice and inclusion. At the heart of every resilient community are women—their voices, ideas, and leadership must guide the path toward sustainability.
Empowering women to tackle climate change is not just a moral duty; it is the foundation of Jordan’s future prosperity. Within the nation’s vision for economic modernization lies a significant opportunity: to show that sustainable progress and gender equality are not separate goals but connected paths leading to a resilient, fair, and green Jordan—a future where women create solutions that will influence generations to come.
