Recommendations For a Cultural Heritage and Climate Change Policy in Jordan

This document is the result of a collaborative project between the Petra National Trust (PNT) and the Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa (EAMENA) project at the University of Oxford, assisted by several Jordanian national and local government bodies, NGOs, and partners from Palestine, Iraq and Egypt, with the aim of developing recommendations for a cultural heritage climate change policy. The project reviewed international and national climate change and related policies before coming up with these recommendations. Funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), this project builds on climate impact assessment work supported by the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund. These assessments focussed on the World Heritage Sites of As-Salt, the Baptism site, Tell es-Sultan (Jericho), the latter conducted in collaboration with the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. This work has been combined with PNT’s assessment of climate vulnerabilities at the World Heritage Site of Petra. The following recommendations emphasise a holistic approach to addressing climate risks, building capacity, centred on people, and prioritising mitigation, adaptation, a collaborative climate change and heritage network, and sustainable financing. They require political will, policy action, and coordination among government agencies and stakeholders.