In 2006;; the Sultanate of Oman undertook a project that aimed to support the implementation of the country’s vision towards conservation of biological diversity in the Sultanate of Oman. This report serves as an “evaluation and assessment of capacity building in the field of traditional knowledge related to biodiversity.” The report aims to describe the state of traditional knowledge on biodiversity in Oman;; assess capacity-building requirements in relation to traditional knowledge;; and provide a set of recommendations with a strategy for the protection and maintenance of traditional knowledge on biodiversity conservation. Various topics related to biodiversity are covered;; including irrigation;; tree cultivation;; crop improvement;; livestock management;; and soil and water conservation. The methodology used depends on three sources of information;; including a review of secondary data;; in-depth interviews;; and a participatory workshop.

This report examines social development in Jordan with respect to childhood education and literacy. The survey presented examines the status of children’s literature and encouraging reading in Jordan. The report assesses the promotion of children’s literature in Jordan through various axes;; including the quality and prevalence of libraries;; the effectiveness of policies;; and the existence of civil institutions active in the field of children’s literature. The report also identifies various trends with respect to children’s literature through concentrated discussion groups with families;; teachers;; children;; and writers of children’s literature.

تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى تحديد حجم العرض والطلب المتوقع من خدمات التدريب المهني والتعليم التقني في الأردن في وظائف تكنولوجيا الاتصالات والمعلومات للمستويات خلال الأعوام (20113-2015);; إضافة إلى التعرف على دور التدريب المهني والتعليم التقني في تلبية الطلب على العمالة حسب الجنس والمحافظة والتخصص المهني والمستوى في وظائف تكنولوجيا الاتصالات والمعلومات;; وتحديد احتياجات القطاعات الاقتصادية المختلفة من وظائف تكنولوجيا الاتصالات والمعلومات ووضع التوصيات اللازمة واقتراح السياسات والبرامج اللازمة لتطوير القطاع وتمكينة من خلق فرص عمل جديدة للشباب الأردني.

The assessment report is a final product of the Asia and Middle East Economic Growth Best Practices project (AMEG);; which is designed to support USAID missions in developing effective and efficient economic growth programs that address technical and strategic challenges. The report provides an introduction to Jordan's macroeconomic performance and structure and examines the field assessment's key lines of inquiry such as fiscal environment;; taxation;; customs and trade facilitation;; the energy sector;; policy analysis and political economic environment. It identifies the structure and performance of each inquiry and adds policy;; administrative;; and institutional environment;; and its challenges and opportunities.The report's concluding section outlines key challenges and opportunities;; and offers recommendations. Some of the findings include Jordan's lack of robust forum for soliciting and integrating input on economic policy issues from key stakeholders or the wider public and lack of institutional capacity to develop macroeconomic models. The report suggests facilitating national dialogue and consensus building on economic policy issues and building capacity to integrate stakeholder input.

Freedom of expression and press freedom are essential conditions for the conduct of free and fair elections. But in the pre-election period;; Jordanian authorities have used the laws in force;; and other means such as threats and intimidation by internal security forces and government officials;; to restrict free expression;; including press freedom;; in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR);; which Jordan has ratified. This report documents a series of actions taken by the government to tame the print media -- including the temporary closure of thirteen weekly newspapers in September -- and intimidate political critics into silence. Journalists and editors told Human Rights Watch that they have followed a stricter regime of self-censorship since the amendments to the press law were implemented in May 1997;; for fear of being subjected to heavy financial penalties mandated under the new law. In addition;; students;; writers;; and researchers have faced a variety of sanctions -- ranging from detention;; criminal prosecution;; and imprisonment to harassment;; job loss;; and blacklisting -- because they expressed views on political subjects that the government preferred remain off-limits. Such measures have created an atmosphere in which the right to free expression is perceived by many in Jordan as under siege.

Since Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994;; there has been growing tension between the Jordanian government and the independent press;; particularly the kingdom's small-circulation weekly newspapers. Journalists and editors have been arrested;; detained and prosecuted for violations of both the penal code and provisions of the press and publications law of 1993. By the count of one Jordanian weekly newspaper;; since the law went into effect sixty-two cases have been brought against journalists and editors;; the overwhelming majority of them with weekly newspapers. Faced with public opposition to normalization of relations with Israel;; frustration about the implementation of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority;; and popular discontent with the state of the economy and high rates of unemployment and underemployment;; Jordanian authorities have clearly signaled a growing discomfort with the exercise of freedom of expression by both individual critics and the press.

The report is based on the outreach and communication survey of USAID and other donors' efforts. It is part of the Public Action Project;; which supports USAID's technical and policy investments in the Jordanian water and energy sectors and specific initiatives in the environment. The survey was designed to report on past;; current and planned donor efforts in relation to water;; energy and solid waste management – with the main focus on water sector. It is intended to help the PAP team to design communication strategies and specific behavior change campaigns by building on lessons learned from outreach efforts. The report is based on the survey consisting of 39 open-ended interviews with donor officials and managers of donor-funded projects;; and it includes analysis and recommendations on coordination with current and planned donor projects. The report recommends improvement in coordination through development of national communication strategies;; assistance in water and energy sectors to establish trust and credibility with their customers;; reduction and streamlining of programs targeting schoolchildren;; and setting up of priority areas for change through technical assessment in water and energy.

The report is based on the KAP household baseline survey;; which measures the current awareness of methods of water and energy conservations to determine how the Jordanians currently dispose of their household waste and how serious they believe the threat of global warming to be in Jordan. The household baseline survey on the use of water;; energy;; and the management of solid household waste has been designed based on the Knowledge;; Attitude and Practice (KAP) model;; and it aims to serve as a prelude to education and changing public behavior in the water and energy sectors in Jordan;; and to supply specific initiatives in the environment;; in particular in regard to the management of solid household waste. The research is based on a qualitative research;; a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The report concludes with the main findings that the most trusted sources of information on water conservation were the Ministry of Water and Irrigation;; and the Jordan Water Company. The survey finds that the respondents believe that the water shortage can be overcome with the water authorities' leadership including their engagement in grand projects.