Amman- 17 January 2023
The German Jordanian University hosted the First Stakeholders Workshop for the Project “Boosting Nexus Framework Implementation in the Mediterranean” (BONEX). The workshop was organized by German Jordanian University and by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN-ROWA). The workshop was the first event in the frame of the BONEX project, which is funded by the EU-Foundation “Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA)”. In Jordan, the BONEX project has a specific focus on the Wadi Mujib Basin, and has the ambition to explore and develop specific solutions promoting the linking of governance with practice to overcome barriers to WEFE (water, energy, food, ecosystem) nexus and policies.
To achieve the project's objectives, the first workshop included a variety of stakeholders who would contribute significantly to the success of the workshop and the project. The stakeholders included representatives of Madaba Municipality, Jordan Valley Authority (JVA), Miyahuna- Madaba, Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI), Ministry of Agriculture, Madaba Directorate, Energy and Mineral Resources Regulatory Commission, Dhiban Youth Cooperative, Jordan cooperative corporation, Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, Al-Rayaheen cooperative, Ministry of Environment, National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), Dhiban municipality, and Department of Statistics.
Dr. Serena Sandri (GJU) welcomed all workshop attendees prior to the start of the workshop. Dr. Munjed Alsharif (GJU) started the workshop by greeting the attendees and delivering a brief introduction to the BONEX project for all participants. Following that, Eng. Ali Hayajneh (IUCN-ROWA) gave a speech on the current situation in the Wadi Al Mujib region, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts among various stakeholders for the project's success. Eng. Amjed Abdelqader (IUCN-ROWA) made a presentation on the characteristics of the Wadi Al Mujib basin, in addition to a brief conception of the WEFE Nexus approach.
Dr. Arwa Abdelhay (GJU) and Dr Munjed Al Sharif (GJU), also assisted by Dr. Nooh Alshyab (Yarmouk University) and Dr. Luay Jum'a (GJU) moderated then two interactive sessions in which participants were requested to map the most relevant problems affecting the WEFE Nexus in the Wadi Mujib area.
