| Located in the Middle East region, Jordan borders | | | | enforcement; identify a level, well-drained area where |
| Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Palestine. The | | | | composting will take place; identify and hire workers |
| population of this country should be approximately 6.5 | | | | and women leaders to implement the project and |
| million people by 2010. Agriculture is one of this | | | | conduct follow-up; identify the different kinds of |
| country’s main sources of income and is | | | | waste which are produced in the refugee |
| especially promoted in the Jordan Valley. Over the | | | | communities, and put them in different categories; |
| past few decades, the problems which confront this | | | | purchase plastic bags, gloves, dust bins, boots, boxes |
| country have included unemployment, low income | | | | and other relevant equipment for women leaders and |
| levels and littering of wastes from all sectors. These | | | | workers; design two training courses for women |
| problems are particularly rife in Palestine refugee | | | | leaders, farmers and a number of officials in these |
| camps in Jordan such as Weidhard and Zarqa camps | | | | towns, on the types of organic waste which should |
| where many women do not have access to jobs. | | | | be used for composting. These include tea bags, |
| These refugee camps are one of the ten refugee | | | | banana peels and many forms of kitchen waste, |
| camps in Jordan which accommodate some 326,000 | | | | manure from birds, corn cobs, hair, peanut shells and |
| refugees, making about 18 per cent of the 1,840,000 | | | | paper. |
| refugees registered with the office of UN Relief | | | | Further measures are to: enhance the skills of |
| Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in | | | | affected parties in the process of composting and |
| the Near East, located in Jordan. If the refugees | | | | the sort of wastes which should be avoided; train |
| living in the three unofficial camps and in camps’ | | | | these workers on the environmental impacts of |
| environs were to be added to that number, it can be | | | | mismanagement of hazardous waste, as well as the |
| said that about 65 per cent of the Palestine refugees | | | | economic and environmental benefits of sustainable |
| in Jordan live under similar socio-economic conditions. | | | | waste management practices; conduct a series of |
| In the light of the socio-economic problems in all the | | | | environmental awareness campaigns on preventing |
| Palestinian camps, , it would be greatly recommended | | | | the disposal of garbage on streets, littering and also, |
| international agencies such as UNRWA, relevant UN | | | | the incentives which could be granted to best |
| bodies, the Arab League, NGOs and government of | | | | practicing areas; draft and finalise a Guidance Manual |
| Jordan implement a project in Weidhard Refugee | | | | and Waste Management Charter; and conduct a |
| Camp and other similar refugee camps in Jordan. The | | | | survey of the number of existing houses, shops, |
| main problems of Weidhard Refugee Camps include: | | | | commercial and industrial areas as well as farms in |
| deterioration of buildings and constructed areas; | | | | these towns; Remove accumulated wastes from |
| littering and stockpiles of waste; inconsistencies in the | | | | streets. |
| removal of waste; high levels of unemployment, | | | | Other measures include the following: identify |
| particularly among women; high costs of fertilizer to | | | | particular areas in these towns from where women |
| use in farming; andlack of the impact of the workings | | | | leaders will collect garbage from shops and houses |
| of environmental clubs. | | | | and where waste disposal bins will be established; |
| Such a project could empower women, the youth | | | | distribute a questionnaire to find out some salient |
| and leaders in Weidhard Refugee Camp to engage in | | | | features of waste management in the four towns |
| income-generating activities by collecting, recycling | | | | such as the constraints in waste management; |
| and selling some forms of waste for further use. This | | | | organise group discussions to obtain more views |
| project will also help resolve the environmental | | | | from the community about waste management, with |
| problem of waste management, which has | | | | practical suggestions on how this can be improved; |
| devastating impacts of pollution and climate change | | | | distribute plastic bags to houses and shops; |
| through the emission of greenhouse gases and other | | | | establish an organized and regular system of garbage |
| hazardous gases (from waste), negatively affects | | | | collection from these sites and disposal to a particular |
| the health and living conditions of some sectors of | | | | dumping area in the four towns through discussions |
| the populace, the physical environment and land use. | | | | with local authorities; and arrange with local authorities |
| Women in these camps come into contact with | | | | to provide vehicles for transporting garbage; |
| many forms of waste such as household wastes, | | | | separate organic waste from inorganic waste, and |
| which are a result of their household activities. By | | | | put together the organic waste for composting in a |
| enabling women to collect waste and further | | | | box, with garden soil at the base, with the relevant |
| reprocess it into compost which will be sold to | | | | temperature and amount of heat supplied; monitor |
| farmers, women leaders will ensure environmental | | | | the process of the composting; put the fertilizer in |
| protection while supplying reasonably priced fertilizer | | | | separate paper bags for sale to farmers; clean up |
| in the agricultural sector. The advantages of | | | | the inorganic waste (example, plastic bottles) and |
| composting include improving soil fertility and healthy | | | | recycle for re-sale and re-use; co-operate with local |
| root development in plants. Composting also improves | | | | authorities and treat the remaining waste in a landfill, |
| the health, living conditions and physical environment | | | | with due regard to sound ecological principles. |
| of the surrounding populace, leads to job creation, | | | | The outcomes and expected advantages of such a |
| income generation, social upliftment, as well as a | | | | project are many. These include a risein certain |
| recognition and publicity outside of the community. In | | | | positive trends such as trained leaders to raise the |
| effect, environmental mechanisms could be used to | | | | level of environmental awareness amongst individuals |
| attain developmental goals in this camp. | | | | throughout the communities; derivation of more |
| Depending on the success of its implementation, such | | | | income and greater levels of job opportunities for |
| a project could be replicated in other parts of Jordan | | | | women through promoting the recycling of waste for |
| in latter phases. This project could therefore | | | | sale as compost; improved partnerships between the |
| contribute to Jordan’s attainment of sustainable | | | | community, private sector and municipal authorities |
| development goals, in conformity with the UN | | | | for the improvement of environmental concerns; |
| Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7, which exhorts | | | | formulation and implementation of Guidelines and a |
| countries to implement environmentally sustainable | | | | Charter on Waste Management which consists of |
| policies and programmes; UN MDG 3 which requires | | | | environmentally rational principles in waste |
| that countries need to promote women equality in | | | | management; strengthened partnerships between |
| their programmes and UN MDG 1 which requires | | | | the community and the Ministry of Environment, for |
| countries to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. | | | | enforcing laws and policies on waste management, |
| Such a problem could also enable the integration of | | | | while paying attention to the principles of the Waste |
| women and refugee issues into environmental issues, | | | | Management Charter and Jordan’s Waste |
| an approach which could make the attainment of | | | | Management Policy; availability of reasonably priced |
| Jordan’s development objectives easier, rather | | | | fertilizer for purchase and use by farmers in the |
| than treat these issues in isolation. | | | | refugee towns and the Jordan Valley, as well as an |
| Such a project would also involve the implementation | | | | established system of recycling waste for re-use. |
| of a series of measures by the respective | | | | In view of these, such a project could enable the |
| stakeholders who collaborate to enforce it. These | | | | global community and Jordan could to to resolve |
| measures include the following: liaise with the | | | | pressing problems such as poverty and lack of |
| municipalities to clearly define the respective roles of | | | | employment. |
| each stakeholder in the process of project | | | | |