Jordan

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

Western AsiaApplies 2023–2050Source: 2050 National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

1. Overview

Jordan's 2050 National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan is the country's third-generation NBSAP, following plans published in 2001 and 2015 after Jordan ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1994 [§6]. The plan was developed with Global Environment Facility funding through the Global Biodiversity Framework Early Action Support Project and is situated within the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) adopted at CBD COP15 in 2022 [§3, §6].

Rather than translating the GBF into a list of 23 national targets, Jordan organises the plan around four long-horizon Strategic Goals*Jordan's NBSAP uses "Strategic Goal" for the four 2050-horizon goals (equivalent to GBF Goals A–D) and "Strategic Instrument" for the numbered sub-pledges beneath each Goal. Jordan also uses "Strategic Instrument" for named programmes, bylaws, and laws; this page follows the editorial convention of treating the four Goals as top-level national commitments and the numbered Instruments as sub-actions. Jordan uses "indicator" and "target" interchangeably but sets no numeric national targets; metrics are to be defined through the National Systematic Biodiversity Monitoring Program [§45, §61]. covering 2030 actions and a 2050 vision. These correspond structurally to GBF Goals A–D. Beneath them sit numbered Strategic Instruments (A1–A10, B5–B6, C1–C6, D1–D5) that function as the country's national commitments and describe the mechanisms through which each Goal will be delivered [§49–§58]. Jordan does not publish a numbered national target list and does not set quantified national thresholds for most commitments; delivery horizons sit at 2030 for action and 2050 for the vision.

The NBSAP addresses socio-political, economic, and environmental drivers of change — protected areas, environmental security, disaster risk reduction, refugee hosting, energy, food security, chronic water deficit, and land-use change — and identifies six underlying causes of biodiversity loss that the Strategic Goals are designed to address [§6].

Jordan's NBSAP is built around four Strategic Goals mapped to the GBF's 2050 architecture rather than its 2030 target list, with most commitments framed as directional aspirations to be operationalised through numbered Strategic Instruments, a BIOFIN-led financing process, and a National Systematic Biodiversity Monitoring Program that is itself a long-term endeavour projected to extend beyond 2030. The plan explicitly mandates a modernisation of biodiversity governance by 2030 without predetermining the outcome, and positions biodiversity as a "third ecosystem resilience pillar" of Jordan's Economic Modernisation Vision.

Sources:

  • §3 — Foreword / Acknowledgements
  • §6 — Executive Summary
  • §45 — Part IV > 4.1 NBSAP, A Dynamic Policy Tool
  • §49 — 2050 NBSAP Vision > 4.4 The 2050 Strategic Goals
  • §58 — 4.5.4 Goal D Strategic Direction & Instruments
  • §61 — Part V > 5.3 Monitoring

2. Ecological Context

Jordan covers 89,342 km² at the junction of three biogeographical realms — the Palearctic, Afrotropical, and Oriental — with a 27 km coastline on the Gulf of Aqaba as its only marine frontage [§11, §16]. The NBSAP divides the country into four biogeographic zones: Mediterranean (highlands from Irbid to Ras An-Naqab, 300–600 mm rainfall, hosting 90% of the population); Irano–Turanian steppe (150–300 mm, described as fragile and vulnerable to overgrazing and climate change); Saharo–Sindian–Nubo–Sindian (50–100 mm, the Dead Sea–Rift Valley–Wadi Rum corridor); and Sahara–Sindian–Arabian, which covers 72% of the country [§16]. An 18-class vegetation map ranges from deciduous oak forest (156 km²) and juniper forest above 1,000 m to gravel hammada covering 45,871 km² (51.3% of Jordan) [§16, §63]. Cultivated and natural forests together cover 0.7% of national territory [§17].

Jordan sits at the southern tip of the Fertile Crescent and hosts habitats of two Vavilov Centres of origin — Mediterranean basin and Asia Minor — placing crop wild relatives at the centre of the biodiversity profile. Named wild ancestors of wheat (Triticum dicoccoides, T. urartu, Aegilops spp.), barley (Hordeum spontaneum), lentil, almond, olive, and fig are found across Jordanian mountains and deserts [§25]. The country documents 2,531 flowering plant species with about a quarter classified as threatened under the IUCN Red List, seven endemics, around 106 near-endemics, and over 250 taxa of crop wild relatives [§17]. Terrestrial fauna includes 69 resident and 367 migratory bird species, 91 reptiles, 78 mammals, and 15 freshwater fish [§18].

The Gulf of Aqaba's 13 km of discontinuous fringing reefs and ≈4 km² of coral reef are recognised by WWF as part of a "Global 200 EcoRegion" [§20, §23]. It supports 157 hard coral species, 507 fish species (40% of the Red Sea's known fish, about 25 Red Sea endemics), 645 molluscs, 72 sponges, 150 soft corals, three seagrass species, and three recorded sea turtle species including the hawksbill, whose highest observed population sits at Black Rock near Tala Bay [§23].

The NBSAP identifies habitat destruction, invasive alien species, overexploitation, and refugee-hosting pressures as direct threats, driven by poorly planned urbanisation, intensified grazing, unregulated tourism, mining, water over-abstraction, and pollution from domestic, industrial, and agricultural sources [§38]. Between 2007 and 2014, 423 induced fires affected 24,628 trees and degraded 9 km² in forested regions [§38]. Under RCP 8.5 the 4th National Communication projects maximum air temperature rises of up to 3.1°C, precipitation reductions of up to 47%, and an increase in drought frequency of up to 93% [§13].

Sources:

  • §11 — 2.1 Jordan Country Physical Profile
  • §13 — 2.2.2 Climate Projections in Jordan
  • §16 — 2.3.1 Biogeographic Zones in Jordan
  • §17 — 2.3.2 Terrestrial Flora and Vegetation Types in Jordan
  • §18 — 2.3.3 Terrestrial Fauna
  • §20 — 2.3.4.1 Marine Biodiversity and Climate Change > Overview
  • §23 — Biological Environment
  • §25 — 2.5 Genetic Diversity
  • §38 — 3.4 Direct Threats to Biodiversity
  • §63 — Annex 1 Phytogeographical Zones of Jordan

Jordan's drylands and refugee-hosting context

Three contextual factors run through the NBSAP and shape how commitments are framed across Strategic Goals, the financing chapter, and the direct-threats analysis.

Al Badia and drylands dominance. The Al Badia region comprises roughly 80% of Jordan's land area [§6, §11]. Rangelands — defined under Agricultural Law No. 13 (2015) as state land registered as range or state land where annual rainfall is below 200 mm — occupy about 68% of the country [§30]. The Badia Restoration Programme (BRP), overseen by the Ministry of Environment and funded by the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) as reparation for damage caused during the First Gulf War, targets rehabilitation of 1.2 million hectares of degraded rangelands through seeding with native plants, water-harvesting structures, and sustainable grazing — equivalent to approximately 68% of national territory [§31]. Current Jordanian rangeland governance counts 27 governmental range reserves (~8,000 km²) and nine cooperative range reserves (~1,100 km²) [§30].

Chronic water deficit. Jordan runs a 17% chronic water deficit, with demand exceeding renewable resources by 178 million m³ per year [§11, Target 11]. Agriculture is the largest consumer of water, and the NBSAP flags that efficiencies in agricultural production may not translate into ecosystem resilience and may instead increase vulnerability. Water provisioning is singled out as a central focus for cost-effective ecological solutions (Strategic Instrument A4). The Azraq Wetlands restoration programme, running since 1993 to counter over-abstraction, has recovered less than 7% of original wetlands [§31].

Refugee hosting. Refugees make up approximately 32% of Jordan's population, including 2.3 million Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA and ≈1.36 million Syrian refugees among others [§11, §38]. The NBSAP invokes this explicitly as a biodiversity-finance argument: Strategic Instrument D1 commits to "recognising Jordan's regional role as an innovator and host to refugees and ensuring this is reflected in global financing, particularly north-south knowledge transfer and funding" [§51, §60]. This equity framing links refugee burden-sharing directly to GBF Target 19 finance mobilisation and is carried through the direct-threats analysis, where competition with local livestock herds and pressure on scarce water resources are cited.

Sources:

  • §6 — Executive Summary
  • §11 — 2.1 Jordan Country Physical Profile
  • §30 — 2.6.1.4 Rangelands in Jordan
  • §31 — 2.6.1.5 Restoration and Rehabilitation Programs
  • §38 — 3.4 Direct Threats to Biodiversity
  • §51 — Part IV > Goal D Strategic Instruments
  • §60 — 5.2 Financing

3. National Commitments and GBF Alignment

The 2050 NBSAP is built on the vision that "By 2050, Jordan's biodiversity will be valued, effectively conserved, restored, and sustainably used, supporting the national economy and the wealth of both present and future generations" [§47]. Four Strategic Goals — the country's top-level national commitments — structure delivery, each with numbered Strategic Instruments that function as sub-actions.

The NBSAP roots its goals in six underlying causes of biodiversity loss that the Strategic Goals are designed to address: Relevance (low public awareness and prioritisation); Governance (inadequate decision-making structures and public participation); Mismatched Trade-offs (disconnect between science and development agendas); Inadequate Knowledge Management (absence of a centralised biodiversity information database); Lack of Systematic Financing Framework (inadequate valuation in national accounting); and Weaknesses in Pricing and Tenure (ineffective management institutions leading to overexploitation) [§6, §37].

Strategic Goal A — Integrity, connectivity, and resilience of socio-ecosystems (GBF Goal A)

Commitment. Maintain, enhance, or restore the integrity, connectivity, and resilience of all of Jordan's socio-ecosystems, "resulting in a progressive reduction — and eventual removal — of anthropogenic causes of extinction or loss of genetic diversity within species, including domestic relatives, by 2050" [§6, §49].

GBF Target mapping. GBF Targets 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 11.

Strategic Instruments (national sub-commitments). A1 mainstreams ecosystem resilience and biodiversity into national land-use planning. A2 builds integrated management capacities across the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Water & Irrigation, municipalities, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), and the Petra Development Tourism Regional Authority (PDTRA). A3 builds awareness and capacities of legal authorities — courts, police, rangers, customs, border controls — civil society, NGOs, and national media. A4 directs cost-effective ecological solutions to water provisioning, flood mitigation, drought, and rangeland degradation. A5 integrates agrobiodiversity, landraces, and crop wild relatives into farming systems. A6–A8 establish international partnerships, career structures, and research capacity. A9 and A10 address gender equality in the workforce and women's role in rural biodiversity management [§49, §52, §53].

Measurability. Goal A is a directional aspiration at the 2050 horizon; Strategic Instruments A1–A10 are directional aspirations with a 2030 delivery horizon. The NBSAP signals a pivot beyond strict IUCN Category I and II protection toward Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) and production-landscape conservation, but does not state a 30×30 equivalent [§52].

Indicators. Deferred to the National Systematic Biodiversity Monitoring Program (NSBMP); specific indicators are not named at plan level [§61].

Strategic Goal B — Sustainable use and equitable distribution of ecosystem benefits (GBF Goal B)

Commitment. Restore and sustainably manage all ecosystem goods, functions, and services, equitably distributing costs and benefits through robust use systems or benefit-return arrangements that reflect opportunity and management costs, in support of the Economic Modernisation Vision (EMV) by 2050 [§6, §54].

GBF Target mapping. GBF Targets 5, 9, 10, 11, 14.

Strategic Instruments. B5 directs cost-effective and resilient ecological approaches — bio-engineering, water provisioning — as support for the EMV. B6 requires identification of EMV aspects that must be underpinned by ecosystem goods and services. The plan states that this strategy "explicitly seeks to avoid the risk of abandoning any biodiversity resources" [§54].

Measurability. Directional aspiration. No numeric thresholds on sustainable harvest, bycatch, or production-area percentages are set.

Indicators. Deferred to the NSBMP.

Strategic Goal C — Fair and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources (GBF Goal C)

Commitment. Ensure fair and equitable sharing of monetary and non-monetary benefits from the use of genetic resources, digital sequence information (DSI), and traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources [§6, §56].

GBF Target mapping. GBF Target 13 (primary); Targets 15, 22.

Strategic Instruments. C1 develops a supportive policy and regulatory framework covering DSI. C2 protects local and traditional knowledge and the interests of its custodians. C3 provides diverse incentive mechanisms (direct use, compensation, payment for ecosystem services, alternative livelihoods) and reduces perverse incentives. C4 promotes biodiversity and Green Economy research with information sharing. C5 promotes regional and global collaboration on peace, gender equality, and mutual understanding. C6 develops genetic-conservation R&D capacities in Jordanian academic institutions [§56].

Measurability. Directional aspiration. The NBSAP frames Goal C around "the bundle of rights and responsibilities that determine ownership or tenure" and does not set numeric thresholds.

Indicators. Deferred to the NSBMP.

Strategic Goal D — Financing, policy coherence, and national coordination (GBF Goal D)

Commitment. Fully fund biodiversity conservation through domestic budgets, international funding, and private sector investments; ensure a transparent and adaptive national policy framework integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services into all sectors; and integrate biodiversity and ecosystem services into the national accounting system [§6, §57].

GBF Target mapping. GBF Targets 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23.

Strategic Instruments. D1 mobilises financial and material resources — including invoking Jordan's regional role as innovator and refugee host — mainstreams biodiversity into sector budgets, develops green business models aligned with the EMV, and builds financial-planning capacity for protected areas. D2 develops Jordan as a regional hub linking biodiversity to disaster risk reduction. D3 develops a national coordination system for biodiversity monitoring and information sharing via the Clearing House Mechanism (CHM), including citizen science. D4 publishes periodic national and site-level threat assessments on the CHM. D5 promotes green investment across sectors and removes perverse incentives and subsidies [§51, §57, §58].

Measurability. Goal D is a directional aspiration. Within Goal D two measurable commitments sit at the instrument level: (i) subsidy reform — identify, quantify, and phase out or reform biodiversity-detrimental subsidies by 2030, delivered by the BIOFIN Technical Working Group in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance [§60]; and (ii) BIOFIN TWG deliverables — forecast financial needs to 2030, evaluate the past 5–10 years of expenditure, and formulate a financial strategy through 2030 [§60]. Both are scoped deliverables with deadlines but do not pre-specify magnitudes. The wider financing commitment is an interim commitment, with the plan explicitly stating that quantifying the funding gap is itself a first deliverable.

Indicators. The dynamic BIOFIN dashboard on the CHM; NSBMP indicators to be defined [§60, §61].

Self-framing as a third EMV pillar. The NBSAP positions itself as a third "ecosystem resilience pillar" alongside the Economic Modernisation Vision's two existing pillars of economic growth and quality of life [§40, §57]. This framing is the primary national-policy alignment claim in the plan.

Sources:

  • §6 — Executive Summary
  • §37 — 3.3 System Drivers
  • §40 — 3.6 Alignment, Conformity, and Synergies
  • §47 — 4.3 The 2050 Vision & Purpose
  • §49 — 4.4 The 2050 Strategic Goals
  • §51 — Goal D Strategic Instruments
  • §52 — 4.5.1 Goal A Strategic Direction & Instruments
  • §53 — Goal A Strategic Instruments
  • §54 — 4.5.2 Goal B Strategic Direction & Instruments
  • §56 — 4.5.3 Goal C Strategic Direction & Instruments
  • §57 — 4.5.4 Goal D Strategic Direction & Instruments
  • §58 — 4.5.4 Goal D Strategic Direction & Instruments
  • §60 — 5.2 Financing
  • §61 — 5.3 Monitoring

Governance reform: an open mandate to 2030

The NBSAP commits Jordan to "a modernisation of the entire governance approach and system" for biodiversity, nominally led by the Ministry of Environment and utilising existing democratic institutions [§59]. The motivation is stated as the observation that authority and responsibility for biodiversity have become "dispersed across a range of institutions and agencies reducing the regulatory and management effectiveness and creating inefficiencies and inequalities within the system" [§59]. The plan sets a 2030 horizon but explicitly does not predetermine the outcome of the democratic reform process — it is structured as a mandate to reform itself. This is classified as an interim commitment in the NBSAP's own terms.

Seven guiding principles are named for the reform process [§59]: (1) institutionally separate policy and regulatory roles from management functions to avoid conflicts of interest; (2) ensure that de facto responsibility and de jure authority for day-to-day biodiversity management are delegated or devolved to the appropriate level; (3) internalise costs and benefits given finite financial resources; (4) establish human rights — "in particular, the role of women, hitherto undervalued within the existing governance system" — as a foundation for good governance; (5) maintain flexibility toward emerging delegated authorities, civil society, NGOs, and the private sector; (6) mainstream biodiversity into all sectors; and (7) treat ecosystem conservation as of higher priority than the stability of individual species populations.

Dual governance traditions. Jordan's biodiversity governance sits at the intersection of two parallel systems. Traditional collective norms and agreements — including Hima*Hima is a traditional Bedouin common-pool resource management system; the NBSAP describes it as "an agreement for managing common pool resources property" [§29]. — have evolved over time through consensus to manage common property resources and protect usufruct rights. A formal system "embedded in modern government through a set of normative policies, Laws and regulations as well as institutional responsibilities" generally takes precedence because it is more easily recognised by the state [§59]. A single Hima site has been established in Jordan, at the Bani Hashem community in the Zarqa river basin, where 15 km² of public forestland was set aside under a 2012 agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture; after one year of protection, the site recorded 36 native plant species [§29].

The NBSAP characterises the existing protected-areas system as having "grown over time as a result of opportunity rather than a predetermined strategic systemic plan" and identifies the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) — a non-state, civil-society organisation — as a statutory regulator with substantive powers, delegated since the 1973 incorporation of the Wildlife Conservation Law into the Agricultural Law [§39, §59]. RSCN manages ten of Jordan's twelve protected areas and enforces wildlife protection and hunting regulations. Jordan will seek financial assistance for this democratic reform process, acknowledging that "there are risks in changing any system" [§59].

Sources:

  • §29 — 2.6.1.3 Hima Areas
  • §39 — 3.5 The National Strategic and Legal Frameworks for Biodiversity
  • §59 — Part V > 5.1 Governance

4. Delivery Architecture

Legal framework. The Environment Protection Law (No. 52, 2006) designates the Ministry of Environment as the national focal point and mandates oversight of biodiversity protection, ecosystem sustainability, and genetic resources management [§39]. Two Ministry bylaws operate under it: the Bylaw on Protected Areas and National Parks (No. 29, 2005), implemented by RSCN, and the Bylaw on Environmental Impact Assessment (No. 37, 2005) [§39]. Two supporting instruments are named: the Genetic Resource Access and Benefit Sharing Bylaw No. 20 (2021), and the Biosafety regulations [§39]. The Agriculture Law (No. 13, 2015) addresses wildlife, forest, and rangeland protection and delegates wildlife-protection and hunting-regulation enforcement to RSCN [§39]. The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, established in 2000 under Law No. 32, holds autonomy over environmental protection in Aqaba through specific bylaws, including those governing the Wadi Rum Protected Area [§39].

Flagship programmes — conservation. Jordan operates twelve protected areas: five long-standing RSCN reserves (Shaumari 1975/22 km², Azraq 1975/12 km², Mujib 1987/212 km², Ajloun 1989/12 km², Dana 1993/292 km²), later RSCN reserves (Dibeen 2004/8.5 km², Yarmouk 2010/20.5 km², Fifa 2011/26 km², Burqu' 2018/906 km², Dahek 2018/265 km²), and two ASEZA-managed sites (Wadi Rum 1996/729 km² and the Aqaba Marine Reserve, declared December 2020 at 2.8 km² and stated to conserve ≈3% of Jordanian territorial waters) [§26, §27]. Six Special Conservation Areas (SCAs)*Special Conservation Area — a Jordan-specific designation introduced in 2008 via the Integrated Ecosystems Management in the Jordan Valley project. — introduced in 2008 as a Jordan-specific smaller-scale designation — cover ≈48.4 km² [§28]. Two Ramsar sites (Azraq Wetland Reserve; Fifa Protected Area) and 18 Important Bird Areas covering 5,503 km² reflect Jordan's position on the Red Sea–Rift Valley Palearctic migratory flyway [§33, §34].

Flagship programmes — restoration. The Badia Restoration Programme (BRP) targets 1.2 million hectares of rangeland rehabilitation (see "Jordan's drylands and refugee-hosting context") [§31]. The Jordan Watershed Restoration Project (JWRP), a US Forest Service and ICARDA collaboration, restores a degraded watershed in the Jordan Valley through native tree planting, terracing, and watercourse restoration [§31]. The Azraq Wetlands Restoration Programme, initiated in 1993, continues to address over-abstraction [§31].

Flagship programmes — ex-situ. The National Seed Bank at the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), established 1993 and adopting the GRIN-Global plant gene bank information management system in 2019, conserves ≈5,000 seed accessions focused on local landraces, crop wild relatives, and wild food plants; the oldest is a 1927 wheat landrace [§32]. A new National Seed Bank facility near NARC is under construction, funded at JOD 3 million by the Hashemite University — a measurable commitment scoped as a capital input [§32]. The Royal Botanic Garden seed bank (established 2003) holds over 6 million seeds [§32]. RSCN ex-situ reintroductions have returned the Arabian oryx and Arabian sand gazelle (1978), onager (1983), roe deer (released 2006), and Nubian ibex (released 1997) to Jordanian reserves; Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife (2011) rehabilitates confiscated animals via a partnership between the Princess Alia Foundation and Four Paws [§32].

International instruments ratified. CBD (1994), FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (since 12 April 1989), International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ratified 30 May 2002, NARC focal point), CITES, Ramsar, and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety are all referenced [§25, §32, §33, Target 5, Target 17].

Aligned national policy frameworks. The NBSAP positions itself as a third "ecosystem resilience pillar" of the Economic Modernisation Vision (EMV), aligns with the National Climate Change Policy (2022–2050), and builds on the National Green Growth Plan (2017) [§40].

Sources:

  • §25 — 2.5 Genetic Diversity
  • §26 — 2.6 History of Biodiversity Conservation in Jordan
  • §27 — 2.6.1.1 Protected Areas
  • §28 — 2.6.1.2 Special Conservation Areas
  • §31 — 2.6.1.5 Restoration and Rehabilitation Programs
  • §32 — 2.6.2 Ex-Situ Conservation in Jordan
  • §33 — 2.6.3.1 Ramsar Sites
  • §34 — 2.6.3.2 Important Bird Areas
  • §39 — 3.5 The National Strategic and Legal Frameworks for Biodiversity
  • §40 — 3.6 Alignment, Conformity, and Synergies

5. Monitoring and Accountability

National Systematic Biodiversity Monitoring Program (NSBMP). The NBSAP commits to establishing an NSBMP with two objectives: fostering widespread participatory biodiversity monitoring at the systemic level, and facilitating national and local adaptive management [§61]. The NSBMP is explicitly described as "a long-term endeavor projected to extend beyond 2030", with components developed incrementally and external funding sought as needed — classified by the plan as an interim commitment. Oversight rests with the Ministry of Environment, supported by a multidisciplinary expert panel ensuring guidance, quality assurance, transparency, and accountability [§61]. The NSBMP prioritises practical utility over charismatic or symbolic value in selecting indicators [§61].

Key features include identification of components to be monitored; straightforward, robust data-collection protocols; periodic monitoring of agreed biological indicators; and tracking of ecosystem drivers — "budget allocation to protected areas, visitor numbers, water quality, pesticide and fertilizer use" — using existing statistical methods such as sales receipts, license purchases, and tax receipts [§61]. Specific indicators are not named at plan level and are to be defined through the NSBMP build-out.

Citizen science and participation. The NBSAP notes Jordan's "vibrant tradition of citizen engagement in biodiversity conservation through non-governmental democratic bodies" — the Royal Botanic Garden, RSCN, and the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan — and makes citizen engagement "a cornerstone" of the NSBMP [§61, §62]. Planned engagement includes schools, visitors to protected areas, local communities, and businesses through annual biodiversity counts and participatory threat assessments [§62]. Public data access runs through the national Clearing House Mechanism (CHM).

Governance of delivery. The National Biodiversity Committee, instituted in 2005 and chaired by HRH Princess Basma bint Ali, is the supreme decision-making platform involving governmental and non-governmental stakeholders [Target 22]. A Gender Specialist sat on the NBSAP Preparation Team [Target 23].

Targets as accountability mechanism. The NBSAP states that agreed targets serve both as "a metric by which the system and its management can be held accountable" and as "a feedback mechanism for adaptive management" [§45]. Deviations allow planners to determine whether incorrect assumptions or non-delivery are responsible. The plan frames itself as "a dynamic national policy instrument, not just a means to report to the CBD Secretariat" [§45]. The Theory of Change clusters actions into Spatial Management, Motivational Management, Enabling Framework, and Financial and Resource Capacities, acknowledging that "forecasting outcomes remains challenging and inherently risky" given non-linear socio-ecological dynamics [§44].

Sources:

  • §44 — 3.10 Theory of Change
  • §45 — 4.1 NBSAP, A Dynamic Policy Tool
  • §61 — 5.3 Monitoring
  • §62 — 5.2 Financing > The NSBMP will

6. Finance and Resource Mobilisation

The NBSAP does not contain a costed action budget, a national monetary financing target, or a stated share of the GBF Target 19 global mobilisation figure [§6, §60, Target 19]. Instead, Goal D establishes a process — centred on the BIOFIN Programme — for quantifying needs and mobilising resources through 2030.

Current picture. Jordan acknowledges that "funding for biodiversity conservation cannot be solely reliant on the government budget and necessitates substantial external financial assistance" [§60]. The national budget typically covers recurrent costs, leaving limited resources for capital investments, and available conservation funds are "dispersed across various institutional, donor, and non-state actor platforms, complicating transparency in expenditure and funding priorities" [§60]. "Lack of Systematic Financing Framework" is identified as one of the six underlying causes of biodiversity loss [§6, §37].

BIOFIN Technical Working Group. A TWG will be established with three scoped deliverables through 2030: forecast financial needs until 2030; evaluate historical expenditure over the past 5–10 years and project future spending; and formulate a financial strategy securing financing from governmental, donor, NGO, private-sector, and revenue sources [§60]. The TWG will produce "a dynamic dashboard for real-time biodiversity conservation financing" accessible via the CHM, and will identify and quantify subsidies and market incentives detrimental to biodiversity in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, developing policies to phase out or reform these measures by 2030 [§60]. These deliverables are measurable commitments in the sense of scope and deadline; the magnitude of the financing or reform is not pre-specified.

Refugee-hosting finance argument. Strategic Instrument D1 commits to mobilising resources by recognising Jordan's regional role "as an innovator and host to refugees and ensuring this is reflected in global financing, particularly north-south knowledge transfer and funding" — an equity framing directly tied to the refugee context set out earlier (see "Jordan's drylands and refugee-hosting context") [§51].

Grassroots and private-sector mobilisation. The NBSAP notes "substantial financial assistance opportunities exist at the grassroots level" and commits to building grant-writing and project-management capacity within academic institutions, NGOs, and civil society, leveraging platforms including https://fire.biofin.org/ [§60]. Strategic Instrument D5 promotes green investment across all sectors and removes perverse incentives [§51]. The NBSAP itself was funded by the Global Environment Facility through the Global Biodiversity Framework Early Action Support Project [§3].

Sources:

  • §3 — Foreword / Acknowledgements
  • §6 — Executive Summary
  • §37 — 3.3 System Drivers
  • §51 — Goal D Strategic Instruments
  • §60 — 5.2 Financing

7. GBF Target Coverage

Targets 1 — Spatial planning (Addressed)

Goal A frames biodiversity management as primarily spatial, covering terrestrial, coastal, and marine environments. Strategic Instrument A1 mainstreams ecosystem resilience and biodiversity within the national land-use planning framework; A2 builds integrated management capacities in MoA, MoW&I, municipalities, ASEZA, and PDTRA. Notable feature: explicit recognition of ASEZA and PDTRA as decentralised spatial-planning authorities requiring alignment with the national setting, and a framing of production-landscape conservation via OECMs rather than protected-area expansion. No national land-use-planning percentage or coverage target is stated.

Target 2 — Ecosystem restoration (Addressed)

Three restoration initiatives are described: the Badia Restoration Programme targeting 1.2 million hectares of degraded rangelands (UNCC-funded, framed as post-Gulf-War rehabilitation); the Jordan Watershed Restoration Project (USFS–ICARDA); and the Azraq Wetlands Restoration Programme (initiated 1993, less than 7% of original wetlands recovered to date). Strategic Instrument A4 directs restoration of ecosystem functions using natural processes and native species. The NBSAP does not set a national 30% degraded-ecosystem restoration target.

Target 3 — Protected areas (30×30) (Addressed)

Twelve protected areas are established, ranging from Shaumari (1975, 22 km²) to Burqu' (2018, 906 km²). The Aqaba Marine Reserve (declared December 2020, 2.8 km²) is stated to conserve ≈3% of Jordanian territorial waters. Six Special Conservation Areas (≈48.4 km²) and a single Hima site (Bani Hashem, 15 km², 2012) operate alongside the main network. Strategic reflections signal a deliberate pivot beyond strict IUCN Category I/II protection toward OECMs and production-landscape management. No national 30×30 equivalent is stated. RSCN manages ten terrestrial reserves; ASEZA manages Wadi Rum and the Aqaba Marine Reserve.

Target 4 — Species recovery (Addressed)

Goal A commits to reducing and eventually eliminating anthropogenic causes of extinction or genetic diversity loss within species, including domestic relatives, by 2050. The Red Data Book of Jordanian flora assessed 1,983 vascular plant species (78% of the flora), with 221 Critically Endangered, 275 Endangered, 96 Vulnerable, 39 Near Threatened, and 7 Data Deficient. The Red Data Book of mammals (2020) identified 33 threatened species out of 85 assessed, including six Regionally Extinct. RSCN ex-situ reintroductions have returned Arabian oryx, Arabian sand gazelle, onager, roe deer, and Nubian ibex since 1978. Seed-bank conservation sits at the National Seed Bank (≈5,000 accessions, oldest 1927) and RBG (over 6 million seeds). Notable: Jordan's Vavilov-Centre position gives crop wild relatives distinctive priority, with a JOD 3 million Hashemite University investment in a new National Seed Bank facility named.

Target 5 — Sustainable harvest (Mentioned)

Jordan's 1973-era Wildlife Conservation Law (incorporated into the Agricultural Law) delegates hunting regulation to RSCN as statutory authority, with licences, seasons, bag limits, and prohibitions on automatic weapons, nets, traps, mechanised vehicles, and spotlights; licences cost JOD 5 per year. Jordan is a CITES party. The NBSAP acknowledges weak enforcement as an ongoing driver of species decline. No quantified sustainable-harvest or bycatch targets are set.

Target 6 — Invasive alien species (Mentioned)

Invasive alien and exotic species are identified as a direct threat, with mitigation addressed through the Ministry of Environment's Black Book on invasive alien plant species. Climate projections note that warming Gulf of Aqaba sea-surface temperatures could facilitate alien-species establishment. No quantified targets on reduction of introduction rates or priority-site eradication are stated.

Target 7 — Pollution reduction (Mentioned)

Pollution from domestic, industrial, and agricultural sources is named as a direct threat. Strategic Instrument A4 addresses agricultural pollution through ecological and regenerative farming. The NSBMP tracks pesticide and fertilizer use as key ecosystem drivers using sales receipts and licence purchases. No quantified national targets on nutrient, pesticide, or plastic reduction are stated.

Target 8 — Climate and biodiversity (Addressed)

The NBSAP presents a climate-vulnerability assessment under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 for 2050, 2070, and 2100, rating forested ecosystems (Aleppo pine, evergreen oak, deciduous oak), sand dunes, wetlands, and aquatic ecosystems as highly vulnerable. Gulf of Aqaba sea temperatures are projected to rise from an average 23.17°C to 31.16°C by 2100, with marine ecosystems rated as having low adaptive capacity but moderate overall climate-change vulnerability. The strategic response is research and monitoring for key at-risk ecosystems and species. No quantified climate-resilience targets for biodiversity are stated.

Target 9 — Wild species use (Mentioned)

Wild-species use is framed around crop wild relatives and plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (wild wheat Triticum dicoccoides, T. urartu; wild barley Hordeum spontaneum; wild lentil, almond, olive, fig). NARC has been FAO Commission focal point since 1989 and ratified the ITPGRFA on 30 May 2002. Strategic Instrument A5 integrates landraces and locally developed varieties into farming systems. No commitment framed around benefits to vulnerable populations from wild-species use is stated.

Target 10 — Agriculture / forestry (Addressed)

Strategic Instrument A5 integrates agrobiodiversity, ecological and regenerative farming, landraces, and crop wild relatives into farming systems. A4 applies ecological-agriculture and bio-engineering solutions to rangeland degradation, agricultural pollution, and drought. The BRP promotes sustainable grazing across 1.2 million hectares. The system-drivers analysis frames agricultural efficiency and ecosystem resilience as potentially in tension. No quantified national targets on sustainable-agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, or forestry areas are stated.

Target 11 — Ecosystem services / NbS (Addressed)

Goal A and Goal B commit to maintaining ecosystem services and distributing benefits equitably. Strategic Instrument A4 operationalises nature-based solutions for water provisioning, flood mitigation, drought, infrastructure protection, and rangeland degradation. Strategic Instruments B5 and B6 tie ecosystem-services delivery to the EMV. Water provisioning is a particular focus given Jordan's 17% chronic water deficit (demand exceeds renewable resources by 178 million m³/year).

Target 12 — Urban biodiversity (Not identified)

Content addressing GBF Target 12 was not identified in this NBSAP. Jordan is over 85.4% urbanised and poorly planned urbanisation is flagged as a habitat-destruction driver, but no urban-biodiversity commitments appear.

Target 13 — Genetic resources / ABS (Addressed)

Goal C is dedicated to fair and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources, digital sequence information, and traditional knowledge. Six Strategic Instruments (C1–C6) operationalise the goal, including a supportive policy and regulatory framework covering DSI (C1), protection of local and indigenous knowledge and custodian interests (C2), diverse incentive mechanisms (C3), and genetic-conservation R&D capacity in Jordanian academic institutions (C6). The Genetic Resource Access and Benefit Sharing Bylaw No. 20 (2021) and the Nagoya Protocol are cited as the supporting legal and international framework.

Target 14 — Mainstreaming (Addressed)

Mainstreaming is framed as a whole-of-government response tied to the Economic Modernisation Vision. Goal D and Strategic Instrument D1 mainstream biodiversity and ecosystem maintenance into all sector budgets. Strategic Instrument A1 mainstreams biodiversity into land-use planning. The NBSAP positions biodiversity as a "third ecosystem resilience pillar" of the EMV — a distinctive structural claim.

Target 15 — Business disclosure (Mentioned)

The private sector is addressed as a source of financing rather than as an object of disclosure. Strategic Instruments D1 and D5 commit to developing green business models aligned with the EMV and promoting green investment. No commitment to corporate biodiversity-risk monitoring, assessment, or disclosure requirements is stated.

Target 16 — Sustainable consumption (Not identified)

Content addressing GBF Target 16 was not identified in this NBSAP. The plan acknowledges unsustainable production and consumption patterns as a root cause addressed by the KMGBF but does not translate this into national commitments on food waste, consumer information, or per-capita footprint.

Target 17 — Biosafety (Mentioned)

The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is referenced, and living modified organisms are listed in the abbreviations. Biotechnological advances are grouped with invasive alien species as threats to Jordan's role as a genetic-resource centre. A Biosafety regulations instrument is named in the legal framework [§39]. No specific national LMO-handling measures or biotechnology benefit-sharing commitments are detailed.

Target 18 — Harmful subsidies (Addressed)

The BIOFIN Technical Working Group will identify and quantify subsidies and market incentives detrimental to biodiversity, working with the Ministry of Finance to develop policies that phase out or reform them by 2030 — a scoped deliverable with a deadline. Strategic Instruments C3 and D5 reinforce the commitment to remove perverse incentives and market distortions. The NBSAP's strategic reflections treat subsidy reform as potentially higher-leverage than new financing on cost-effectiveness grounds.

Target 19 — Finance mobilisation (Addressed)

Goal D commits to fully funding biodiversity conservation through domestic, international, and private-sector sources. The BIOFIN TWG will forecast financial needs to 2030, evaluate the past 5–10 years of expenditure, and formulate a financing strategy through 2030, producing a dynamic CHM dashboard. Strategic Instrument D1 invokes Jordan's refugee-hosting role (≈32% of population) as a basis for north-south financing equity. No monetary target or share of the GBF $200 billion global mobilisation figure is stated.

Target 20 — Capacity and technology (Addressed)

Strategic Instruments A2, A3, A6, A7, A8, C5, C6, and D2 collectively build management capacity across land-use institutions, legal authorities (courts, police, rangers, customs, border controls), civil society, NGOs, and media; establish international partnerships; develop career structures for environmental managers; build academic R&D capacity; and promote regional and global scientific collaboration. The framing is of Jordan as a prospective regional centre of excellence in environmental management and environmental economics, not as a recipient of technology transfer.

Target 21 — Data and information (Addressed)

The NSBMP — overseen by the Ministry of Environment with a multidisciplinary expert panel — tracks biological indicators and ecosystem drivers (protected-area budget allocation, visitor numbers, water quality, pesticide and fertilizer use) using existing statistical methods. Strategic Instrument D3 develops a national coordination system for monitoring and information sharing including citizen science; D4 publishes periodic threat assessments on the CHM. Citizen engagement — through schools, protected-area visitors, local communities, and businesses — is described as a cornerstone of the NSBMP.

Target 22 — Inclusive participation (Addressed)

The National Biodiversity Committee (2005, chaired by HRH Princess Basma bint Ali) is the supreme decision-making and guidance platform. Strategic Instrument A3 commits to greater participation of government and society, including building awareness and capacities of legal authorities, civil society, NGOs, and national media. The Hima site at Bani Hashem (15 km², 2012) demonstrates community-led common-pool resource management. Refugees — approximately 32% of Jordan's population — are integrated into national systems. The NBSAP does not use the term "indigenous peoples" in the Jordan context; protections for local communities and traditional knowledge run through Goal C.

Target 23 — Gender equality (Addressed)

Gender equality is addressed through two dedicated Strategic Instruments (A9, A10) plus cross-cutting references in C5 and D5. A9 commits to equal access to employment and education opportunities; A10 recognises women's role in rural biodiversity management and commits to equality in planning, decision-making, and benefit distribution. D5 commits to ensuring women "can equitably share the economic and security benefits of the green economy". A Gender Specialist was a named member of the NBSAP Preparation Team. Jordan's unemployment rate is stated as 30.4% for women and 19.6% for men, providing the labour-market context.

KMGBF Targets Referenced