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Ammon News - The Economic and Social Council Tuesday tackled the environment aspect under the Country Status Report, as part of a series of sessions discussing the report with a group of experts from the public and private sectors.

After a briefing on the key points in the report, the Minister of Environment Muawieh Radaideh said that the recommendations in the Country Status Report's environment angle will be reviewed and addressed, adding that Jordan is working with the relevant global system to shift to green economy, as the world moves towards addressing climate change challenges and its impact on the environment sector.

He stressed the importance of setting goals and achieving them to help countries face environmental challenges, noting that the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly evident in the Middle East.

He pointed out the importance of connecting the environmental aspect to the economic and societal ones to achieve sustainable development, in addition to networking between the water, energy and food sectors to realize food and environmental security.

The Secretary-General of the Council Mitri Madanat highlighted the importance of green economy, which is vital for preserving biodiversity. The top challenges facing the environment sector, he noted, include climate change, increasing population growth, and change in consumption patterns.

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Environment Muhammad Khashashna pointed to the importance of the General Framework Law for Waste Management, and working to restructure the environmental sector, which includes civil society organizations, universities and government entities.

The Council's Financial Policy Coordinator Ziad Dardakah presented the environmental sector's main weaknesses and strengths, such as the Ministry of Environment's reduced budget.

During the discussion session, participants underscored the importance of infrastructure rehabilitation, focusing on the green economy, and cooperation between the public and private sectors and environmental to implement plans and strategies.

They also underlined the importance of raising awareness of the seriousness of the challenges facing the environment and their repercussions, as well as drawing up a road map with the participation of stakeholders to reduce the risks facing the sector.

They pointed to the need to shift to sustainable transport to reduce the effects of climate change, and the optimal use of resources in several sectors, in addition to supporting scientific studies on reducing carbon footprint to avoid the mismanagement of projects.

In the upcoming weeks, the council will hold discussion sessions that bring together experts and stakeholders from the macro economy, infrastructure, human resources, community development (1), and community development (2) sectors and areas, in addition to discussing political development and the development of the public sector.