Jordan Times
Friday, October 1, 2004
NGOs band together to protect
environment
The Kingdom is facing some serious environmental issues including a
severe shortage of water,
decreasing biodiversity and land and habitat degradation
By Sarah Ryan
AMMAN — A group of environmental NGOs are applying the notion that unity is
strength and are banding together in a committee in order to have a greater
influence on the green debate.
“We feel that many voices is better than one,”
said Mohammad Al Masalha, vice president of the Jordan Environment Society (JES).
The committee will be able to present an aligned stance on environmental issues
that will give them more impact on the decision making process, explained
Masalha.
Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) Director General Khalid
Irani explained that although environment issues are on the national agenda, it
is dealt with in isolation instead of being integral to planning and economic
development. “Environment should be seen as an asset to a long-term strategy for
economic development,” he noted.
Jordan is facing some serious environmental issues including a severe shortage
of water, decreasing biodiversity and land and habitat degradation.
Irani said he would like the committee to agree on common priorities in order to
lobby the government and raise awareness of environmental issues among the
general public.
The main benefits of a committee of environmental NGOs is that the government
will take their concerns more seriously, they will build a network of groups
working on similar issues and have knowledge of the projects and work of other
environmental NGOs, said Fadi Sharaiha, executive director of the Royal Marine
Conservation Society (RMCS).
However, both Sharaiha and Irani maintain that each NGO will preserve their
separate projects and goals. Every organisation has their own mandate but there
is much room for co-ordination and support, Sharaiha said.
The committee will be composed of 40 NGOs directly or indirectly involved in
environmental issues. The JES initiated the process and other participating
organisations include the RSCN and the RMCS.
There have been two informal meetings to date, which have centred on the form
the committee will take. Twenty NGOs attended the last meeting on Sept. 21. A
further meeting will be held on Oct. 14 to finalise the committee's structure
and goals, according to Ahmad Al Kofahi, executive director of the JES.
Irani said a similar coalition of NGOs was attempted two years ago. Friends of
Archaeology, the RSCN and JES formed an unstructured group with the aim of
influencing government policy. However, the venture floundered due to lack of
leadership and dedication.
The committee's functions will be limited to co-ordinating the environmental
movement in the beginning, said Masalha. It is important for the group to be
strong and integrated before any expansion, he explained.
The idea behind the union is that if there is a lot of pollution in a certain
area of the Kingdom, the union of NGOs will present a stance on the issue, or
hold a protest with a larger group of people rather than just one organisation
taking action, explained Masalha.
This base of support will allow the organisations to have more influence on
environmental issues, he noted.
The environmental movement began around 15 or 20 years ago in the Kingdom, said
Masalha. The response from the public has so far been good and there has been
steady progress. However, it is time to band together in a clear and practical
coordinating body, he said.