Enhancing a Traditional Water Harvesting Technique in Jordan’s Agro-pastoral Farming System

Abstract

This Policy Brief draws lessons from research conducted by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) in Jordan, focusing on the development and monitoring of a scientific-driven WHT called “Marab” in a participatory approach with the local community. This Policy Brief has been developed for policymakers at national and local levels of government to highlight lessons learned and provide recommendations for policy, while also highlighting the principles of an effective adaptation and coping strategy to re-establish the productive functioning of Jordanian Badia environments. The Brief also identifies how investing in Marab at the community level could improve the livelihoods of rural households and communities in the Badia, where water scarcity, land degradation, and food insecurity are widespread.