Unlocking the power of local action in Jordan
Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in Jordan has long been guided by strong national strategies and institutional frameworks. As climate risks intensify and impacts are increasingly felt at the local level, it has become clear that national commitments alone are not enough. Their effectiveness depends on how they are translated into local practice.
A recent Mercy Corps policy analysis highlighted the need for locally led planning and action, supported by practical guidance and stronger links between national systems and local implementation. These findings have directly shaped ongoing efforts under Tabeaa Project, through which Mercy Corps works alongside national institutions and partners to support nationally led processes that enable consistent, locally grounded action within Jordan’s DRM system.
Turning localization from concept into practice
Localization in practice depends on clear links between national direction and local action. In Jordan, efforts to strengthen the role of municipalities in DRM have focused on reinforcing preparedness and planning at the local level, while national institutions continue to lead coordination and response.
In partnership with UNDP, Mercy Corps has been supporting this direction by working with national institutions to translate policy into local practice. In 2025, a key milestone was the launch of a shared national reference under the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy 2023–2030. The Guiding Document for the Localization of Disaster Risk Management in Jordan, owned by the Ministry of Local Administration and developed in coordination with the National Center for Security and Crisis Management, provides this foundation by clarifying how municipalities can organize their DRM work in line with national systems.
This clarity has enabled a shift from intent to action. Municipal DRM units are being established, local planning is becoming more consistent, and 11 municipalities have applied the national guidance through pilot DRM plans, generating lessons to inform wider rollout.
“The Guiding Document represents a major shift, from ad hoc emergency responses and seasonal winter plans toward a more structured, comprehensive approach to DRM across all 104 municipalities in Jordan.” said Eng. Jumana Al-Abbadi – Director of The Crisis and Emergency Management Unit, Ministry of Local Administration.
Localization in Jordan is progressing as a government-led, evidence-based process that is gradually embedding national strategies into everyday local practice.
Partnership as an enabler of local action
Advancing the localization of DRM in Jordan has depended on sustained collaboration across institutions. Close alignment between Mercy Corps and UNDP has helped advance nationally led priorities, helping ensure that policy and implementation move forward in a coordinated way.
This collaboration has been grounded in government leadership. The Ministry of Local Administration continues to lead localization at the municipal level, with the National Center for Security and Crisis Management providing national coordination within Jordan’s DRM system. Together with other national and local actors, these partnerships are helping create clearer pathways for local action, while recognizing that localization remains an evolving process.
Localization as a continuing process
Localizing disaster risk management is not a one-off reform. It is a gradual shift in how national policies are applied, how local institutions plan and coordinate, and how learning feeds back into national systems.
Under Tabeaa Project, co-funded by the Z Zurich Foundation and the Embassy of Switzerland in Jordan and implemented as part of the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance, Mercy Corps remains committed to contributing to this system-level shift by supporting implementation of the national framework through practical resources, including a toolkit and explainer videos for municipal staff, alongside ongoing support to the establishment and strengthening of DRM units in target municipalities such as Azraq, Mlaih, Dieban, and Shoubak. These efforts reflect a long-term approach to strengthening locally led DRM in Jordan.