Driving up to Irbid, which is in northern Jordan, you see rows and rows of olive trees as well as the Jordan river valley, where the country grows most of its food. You really see the beauty of Jordan’s environment and the need to protect it.

I was lucky enough on my recent trip there in December to be able to check up on a previous CityLinks Partnership ICMA implemented from 2003 – 2005 with the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) and East Carolina University (ECU).

As you can read from a recent article  it was wonderful to meet Moayad Maghaydah, who was working there when the CityLinks Partnership was started, and hear about the continued success and progress of their medical waste management operations. With the help of ECU and ICMA members, JUST now  manages more than 60 percent of the medical waste in Jordan – up from 0 percent when they started in 2003. Just think of the environmental benefits since previously the medical waste was co-mingled with municipal waste, where there was no sorting or special provisions for the waste.  It makes me think that not only the environment and water supply are better protected, but also the beautiful  olive trees that cover the landscape.

After the meeting, I was fortunate enough to stop at an olive press.  I was able to buy olive oil so fresh that the bottle was warm.  As you can see the manager was an expert of pouring the olive oil into the bottle. 

I am glad that ICMA was able to help Jordanians protect their environment . . . . and their olive trees so I could enjoy them!

To learn more about ICMA’s previous work in Jordan, visit our Jordan webpage. Explore ICMA’s international programs by visiting the ICMA International website,  the International Development topic area in the Knowledge Network, and the “International Dispatches” and “Notes from CityLinks” blogs, or e-mail international@icma.org. 

I am happy to have fresh olive oil

The skill of pouring in fresh olive oil into a jar

Moayad Maghaydah, manager of the medical waste disposal facility at JUST

The entrance to the Jordan University of Science and Technology