Jordan Direct Action: National Flood Mapping Programme

Jordan is exposed to multiple natural and man-made hazards, and due to the rugged landscapes with various slope characteristics, climatic patterns, and soil natures, it has always been prone to floods and flash floods. Incidents of flash flooding have claimed the lives of hundreds of people over the years and affected the lives, assets, activities, and livelihoods of thousands in addition to affecting the environment.

Setting the appropriate mitigation measures requires a deep understanding of the risk elements, the hazard, the exposure, the vulnerability, and the coping capacity.

The technical and governance frameworks for guiding the process in Jordan is not fully established and the capacities of the relevant stakeholders need augmentation. Numerous initiatives exist or are ongoing for flood hazard assessment but they are fragmented, disconnected from the application, and need to be further developed within an integrated approach under the leadership of the Jordanians authorities.

Direct beneficiaries: 21 Ministries, national entities and research institutes involved in DRM and national planning processes.

Indirect beneficiaries: the whole population of Jordan, communities, cities, private sector, and investors. Other target groups include regulatory entities, academia, media, and relevant UN-agencies and INGOs.

Outcome 1: A national system/ framework for flood risks mapping is set-up.

Outcome 2: The technical staff from the relevant governmental institutions have the knowledge, skills and tools to map the prevailing flood risks.

Outcome 3: The most relevant map products are available.

Outcome 4: Increased awareness of the key stakeholders on flood risks.

Risultati principali attesi:  

• The governance framework for establishing the national flood mapping processes is established
• Flood mapping technical unit is established
• Preliminary flood maps (hazard indication map) for the more densely populated areas established
• Hot spots identified
• Detailed mapping process applied in one hotspot (pilot region Aqaba or similar)

Risultati fasi precedenti:   Insights from FoEN experts' mission and national stakeholders' workshops which were conducted in 2019 and 2021 respectively concluded that there is a clear demand, by the relevant stakeholders, for action in the field of flood mapping.