NCEA, Jordan MoE ink MoU to expedite environmental impact assessment

The Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) and Jordan’s Ministry of Environment (MoE) recently inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement was signed in the presence of Mr. Harry Verweij, H.E. Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Jordan, and Dr. Muawieh Radaideh, H.E. Jordan’s Minister of Environment.

The signing of the MoU will help Jordan materialize its goal of increasing the level of practice in areas, such as Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).

EIA is a tool used to evaluate and consider the environmental and social implications of infrastructure projects. It enables stakeholders and decision-makers to consider the project’s potential effects on the environment and on people as early as possible and work to avoid, mitigate, or offset those effects.

Similarly, SEAs are employed to evaluate the social and environmental effects of strategic goals, programs, and policies.

EIAs have been in force for more than 20 years in Jordan, and there are definite signs that their application has resulted in better projects. Through this MoU, the NCEA and the country’s Ministry of Environment will coordinate closely to expand EIAs to directly address pressing issues like climate change, improve laws, and share best practices on regulatory frameworks.

Jordan’s Minister of Environment, H.E. Dr. Muawieh Radaideh, stated that this collaboration was important to improve the sustainability of natural resources and create harmony between comprehensive plans & development strategies. It would also accomplish the sustainability pillars of the economic modernization vision.

The NCEA is an impartial expert organization that aids environment and sectoral ministries in strengthening their procedures for conducting environmental and social assessments. It collaborates with partners in several nations to develop their EIA and SEA practices, including Jordan, by using resources granted by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

To expand and enhance the use of EIAs, the NCEA and the Jordanian Ministry of Environment have been working together closely in Jordan since 2018.

Source Credit: https://www.netherlandsandyou.nl/latest-news/news/2022/09/13/moenvjo-and-ncea-sign-mou

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Rashi Thakkar

Rashi started her journey in content when she was completing her MBA. Since then, she has helped well-known startups and businesses boost their online presence. Currently Rashi pens downs insightful articles for AlpenHornNews and various other websites, covering an array of sectors from finance and business to technology and healthcare.