UN-Habitat, GAM and Greater Irbid Municipality officially launch Amman and Irbid Spatial Profiles

Amman - UN-Habitat Jordan, in partnership with the Greater Amman and Irbid Municipalities, officially launched the Amman and Irbid Spatial Profiles.

The spatial profiles were developed under the framework of the “Urban Planning and Infrastructure in Migration Contexts (UPIMC) Programme”, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). UPIMC Programme supports a number of municipalities that host displaced populations, in developing long-term strategies that build on their resilience to face future challenges. The UPIMC programme endeavours to foster multisectoral collaboration between UN-Habitat, national and local governments, humanitarian actors, development partners, as well as international financial institutions to develop sustainable interventions that build inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable settings. The programme is implemented in three countries, Cameroon (Douala), Egypt (New Damietta), and Jordan (Amman and Irbid).

The spatial profiles comprise a spatially focused, cross-sectoral, situational analysis of urban areas hosting local communities and migrant populations. These spatial profiles will provide local stakeholders with a comprehensive spatial understanding of the existing situation as a basis for decision-making, long-term urban development strategies, and infrastructure investment planning.

Mr. Ahmad Malkawi, the City Manager of Amman, explained that the UPIMC programme assists the Greater Amman Municipality in addressing urban challenges, highlighting that this evidence-based study can guide the different development actors in the country to work together as one hand in the design and implementation of projects and to provide a better quality of life for residents in Jordan.

Mayor of Irbid, Mr. Nabel Al Kofahi, highlighted UN-Habitat continuous support and their work in Jordan, particularly in developing infrastructure as well as enhancing the quality of life for people. Mr. Al Kofahi shed light on the Irbid Vision 2030, which states that Irbid is "A green, smart city that is attractive for investment and brings happiness to its people." He highlighted that the vision has happiness as its main goal, which entails that the municipality puts the human being at its core, working on social programs, public services, and infrastructure network developments.  

"We are very proud of the partnership we established with Greater Amman and Irbid Municipalities. The UPIMC program is aligned with UN-Habitat's mandate, which is promoting transformative change in cities and urban areas through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance, and collaborative action, to leave no one and no place behind”, added Ms. Lubna Shaheen, Senior Urban Programme Officer at UN-Habitat Jordan.

Ms. Caroline Tissot, Deputy Head of Mission, Regional Head of Cooperation from the Embassy of Switzerland, expressed Switzerland's interest in supporting such projects by saying: "Urbanization everywhere is a global phenomenon and the rapid influx of displaced populations to urban settings have made spatial, economic, and social impacts. To grasp and leverage this growth, we really need to have data and understand the problems to be able to make policies. Making policies means we need to tackle the issues with long term solutions." She continued by acknowledging that Jordan is strongly affected by these developments, and that is why the collaboration, and the Spatial Profiles are very important for making informed decisions. 

To download the Amman Spatial Profile, please click the link here.

To download the Irbid Spatial Profile, please click the link here.