Tag: Amman

A joint op-ed by the Mayor of Amman and Secretary General of Dubai's Executive Council

2016 was a momentous year for action on climate change. More than 120 countries, including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, ratified the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius. As the Mayor of Amman and the Secretary General of Dubai’s Executive Council, representing the most populous cities in our two countries, we understand the magnitude of this commitment by our national governments, and are ready to help turn the aspiration of the Paris Agreement into action on the ground.

Our cities are on the frontline of the climate change crisis. Rising sea levels threaten millions of citizens with flooding, while colder winters and hotter summers take their toll on the most vulnerable in our cities. The noxious emissions from vehicles passing through our city centres pollute the air that our children breathe. 

Nos villes sont en première ligne de la crise du changement climatique. L’élévation du niveau de la mer menace des millions de personnes avec des inondations, pendant que des hivers plus froids et des étés plus chauds accablent les plus vulnérables de nos villes. Les émissions nocives des véhicules qui roulent dans nos centres urbains polluent l’air que nos enfants respirent.

Nuestras ciudades están en el frente de la crisis del cambio climático. La subida del nivel del mar amenaza a millones de ciudadanos con inundaciones y, a su vez, los inviernos más fríos y los veranos más calurosos afectan especialmente a las zonas más vulnerables de nuestras ciudades. Las emisiones nocivas de los vehículos que circulan por el centro de nuestras ciudades contaminan el aire que respiran nuestros hijos. 

My city Amman, the capital of Jordan, is just one city already attempting to deal with the challenges of both climate change and a growing population. 9.5 million people live in Jordan, four million of which reside in Amman alone. The city is home to a rapidly growing number of immigrants and refugees; half a million Syrians now live in the capital, and our population has been doubling every ten years for the last three decades. Coupled with this growth in population is a rise in potential emissions sources; for instance, Amman is now home to 1.2 million vehicles, emitting around 1,803,689 tonnes of CO2 per year.