This new initiative addresses the social priorities of residents in the Jordan Valley, aiming to strengthen their resilience and ensure their continued existence within their communities. The project utilizes innovative socio-economic models to maximize impact and improve the quality of life for people in the region.
The EcoFuture project addresses the pressing environmental and socio-political challenges of the Mediterranean region, with a focus on the Jordan Valley (JV), a region shared by Palestine, Jordan and Israel. Recognized as a “Hot Spot” for climate change impacts, the Jordan Valley faces severe threats such as desertification, water scarcity, soil degradation, and declining ecological services, all exacerbated by ongoing political conflicts. Through this project, we seek to develop a comprehensive climate change adaptation program that maximizes socio-economic benefits for the region’s people while fostering constructive communications and cooperation mechanisms on regional levels.
EcoFuture emphasizes decentralized but coordinated decision-making, stressing the importance of understanding local challenges and preparing for future investment scenarios. Partnerships with technology manufacturers, public institutions, and local producers will be crucial in implementing energy efficiency programs, incentivizing efficient agricultural water use, and developing renewable energy solutions such as hydropower and bioenergy from wastewater biosolids.
The project activities are designed to produce WEFE Nexus best-practice recommendations for resource management in the Jordan Valley, identify adaptation challenges, and propose viable solutions, including smart agriculture, solar desalination, and renewable energy.
The results will be disseminated broadly to ensure their applicability across the Mediterranean region, supported by key performance indicators and a robust community of practice.
Through these efforts, EcoFuture aims to create a resilient and cooperative regional framework that addresses the intertwined issues of climate change, resource management, and socio-economic development in one of the world’s most vulnerable and politically complex regions.
The objectives of this project:
Based on existing technologies and tailored to the socio-economic priorities of regional partner states, the project proposes a plan optimized through techno-economic models to ensure sustainable and efficient performance.
The project will assess and recommend policies within the WEFE context to improve regional welfare, using innovative socio-economic models to maximize positive impacts on local communities.
Three demonstration sites, one in each country, will be used to test and validate the models and inputs, ensuring the practical applicability of the proposed solutions.
The project proposes methodologies to extend the applicability of the results from the Jordan Valley to other regions in the Mediterranean. It will also build synergies across sectors to explore interlinkages within the WEFE nexus.
In response to the project’s findings, targeted capacity-building and training programs will be implemented, equipping stakeholders with the necessary skills and knowledge to apply the adaptation strategies effectively.
