The first of a series of networking events between different stakeholders discussing the Public Spaces in Jordan took place at the Landmark Hotel in Amman, Jordan, in the presence of the Director of Nature Protection Directorate Eng. Belal Qtishat from the ministry of Environment, representatives from the Ministry of Local Administration, GIZ projects representatives, and representatives from 19 municipalities in Jordan with special participation Adrar municipality in Algeria. The event was organized by AVSI Foundation.
Within GIZ project: “Improvement of Green Infrastructure in Jordan through Labor-Intensive Measures (CfW-GI)” funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), AVSI is one of the implementing partners. AVSI’s work is focusing on the rehabilitation and maintenance of public spaces using a participatory design approach, creating short term employment opportunities and generating skills through on-the-job training and labor market services to improve employability, in the governorates of Aqaba, Mafraq and Zarqa. Other GIZ partners participating to the event were ACTED and the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature.
The main objective of the Public Spaces Networking event was to bring together stakeholders involved in the sector in order to share and discuss best practices and recommendations that will be useful to guide the future steps and give sustainability to the interventions in developing public spaces.
Participants shared their experiences, best practices, and challenges with public spaces in Jordan through various presentations and discussions. Topics included environment and greening spaces, social cohesion, urban gardens, ownerships.
“Public spaces and green infrastructure serve entire communities, promoting contact between neighbors and families. They are not only important for a better living. When properly designed, they are an asset to adapt to climate change.” – Participants.
“As NGO, we are only one part of the process of requalification, maintenance and management of public spaces; we make our contribution for the improvement of these spaces that would not be possible without the role played by municipalities and local communities. Bringing together main stakeholders in this event provided the opportunity to share experiences for achieving smart, sustainable, inclusive and safe public spaces in Jordan”, commented Mr. Nicola Orsini, Country Representative - AVSI Jordan.
Field visits to partners projects by different participating stakeholders will be organized following this networking event, and will allow everyone to acquire shared knowledge, better understanding of each other’s field of specialty that will be useful in the future: teamwork, cooperation, communication, responsibilities, ownerships… in order to achieve better outcomes and coordination of current projects, and transmit these experiences for future projects aiming to have a greener Jordan, safe environments and public spaces for communities, and better work opportunities for Syrians and Jordanians.
This event was organized with the technical support of GIZ and the funding of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).