Jordan is a leading country in Environmental Education and Awareness (EEA) with undoubtedly many achievements to celebrate. Many EEA initiatives are currently launched in Jordan by government agencies, international donors, national NGOs, the private sector and individuals.
However, while examining initiatives, a number of key issues became evident:
- There is lack of leadership in this field, for the responsibility for EEA is shared among many government and non-governmental organizations.
- There are no local standards and benchmarks to measure effectiveness of the initiatives.
- There is a crucial need for effective coordination in order to have a consistent leadership approach to EEA. This involves coordination between government agencies, NGOs, formal and non-formal education, youth and community organizations, research and higher education institutions, and international agencies. Effective coordination facilitates sharing best practices, mobilizes stakeholders and stimulates partnerships.
Audience research will be conducted to better understand current knowledge, attitudes, practices, and motivations of the program’s key audiences as well as pinpoint the array of obstacles and barriers that need to be reduced and the incentives to be provided in order for them to adopt pro-environmental behaviors. Coupled with other forms of audience-based research to measure national trends and provide contextual understanding of certain environmental issues, this rich body of information will serve as the foundation upon which the staff, partners and stakeholders of this strategy will cooperate to design and subsequently launch the national program. It will also serve as the baseline for monitoring societal changes and measuring impact.