Integrated Financing Strategy (IFS) for sustainable land management in Jordan.

The Integrated Financing Strategy (IFS) is a national wide document, developed by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, supported by the Global Mechanism (GM) of the UNCCD, to implement Jordan’s commitments towards UNCCD. The IFS aims at providing a comprehensive and coordinated approach to financing and project implementation that would combat desertification and promote SLM, and in doing so to provide a more stable climate for investment and financing in this area for Jordan. It represents an untraditional approach to funding based on a structured program-financing mechanism that rather than supporting independent activities, ensures that all elements are tied together to increase synergies and maximize the benefits of the final outcome. Thus, SLM and combating desertification are seen as part of the same scope, with poverty alleviation as one critical tool with which to mitigate land degradation. Furthermore, while helping to develop the appropriate blend of funds – namely internal, external and innovative – the strategy also uncovers potential barriers in resource identification, allocation, and disbursement. Once the chain of activities is identified, the required financial resources, both domestic and international, need to be assessed and mobilized. Within the Strategy, an Action Plan is elaborated to detail the activities for raising different financial resources and it should serve as the main reference for implementation of the Strategy.