Presentation by Megan Devonald at Sustainable Development conference

1. Megan Devonald 14th Jan 2022
Exploring the interconnected economic, social and
environmental risks to adolescents’ in Jordan

2. Outline of Presentation
1
• Overview of GAGE’s research in Jordan
2
• Methodology and context
3
•Key findings
4
• Conclusions and policy and programme recommendations

3. Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE):
A longitudinal research programme in the Global South (2015-2024)
By finding out ‘what works,’ for whom,
where and why, we can better support
adolescent girls and boys to maximise
their capabilities now and in the future

4. Sustainable development
Social
Economic
Environmental
• Successful sustainable development requires an
integrated approach that balances these three pillars.
• Historically there has been emphasis on the
development of the economic needs of the population
with less attention paid to the environmental impacts
(Causa et al., 2015; Hickle and Kallis, 2019).
• Children and youth, and refugees are highly
vulnerable to these environmental challenges
(Diwakar et al., 2019).
Mensah (2019) has outlined a framework that centres SD on three interconnected pillars:
environmental, economic and social.

5. Jordan context
Jordan has the second highest proportion of
refugees compared to their population
including an estimated 1.4 million Syrian
refugees.
Waste management is a key issue, there is a
poor solid waste disposal, leading to public
health risks. Low levels of awareness of and
infrastructure for recycling.
Jordan faces numerous environmental
challenges. It is the second most water scarce
country in the world. Climate change, increased
population growth and the influx of refugees
have all put pressure on Jordan's water
resources.
Refugees in Jordan are particularly vulnerable
to environmental, economic and social
challenges. Often living in overcrowded areas
with poor WASH facilities and high levels of
poverty.

6. Jordan research sites and climate sample breakdown
Vulnerable Groups:
Married adolescents: 5 (16%)
Gender: 18 girls, 16 boys
Location type:
Azraq camp: 8
Gaza camp: 8
ITS: 8
Host communities: 10

7. Community and environmental mapping exercise
• Aims to understand the spaces
adolescents live in and how their access
to those spaces are affected by
environmental challenges, and the ways
in which these intersect with other
vulnerabilities, especially their refugee
status and gender.
• Explores with adolescent participants
key places in adolescents’ community,
how close or far services and
infrastructure points are and the
gendered responsibility for daily tasks.

8. Girl in a Gaza camp © Nathalie Bertrams /GAGE
2020
GAGE findings

9. Findings: Water access
 ‘I think this it is not fair, that there is a neighbourhood
with a huge population that only has only one water
tap. And a neighbourhood with just two caravans also
has one water tap’ (15-year-old Syrian girl living in
Azraq camp).
‘Sometimes it cuts short for 4-5 days when the well is
empty of water. So, we wait for the farm owner to
refill the well with water. We try not to use a lot of
water; we try to save’ (16-year-old Syrian girl, living
in the ITS).
• Water is scarce during the
summer.
• Water can be cut for multiple
days.
• In Azraq camp water
availability is very dependent
on district.
•Water scarcity can have implications on
adolescents’ hygiene.
•Adolescents discuss how they
economise water use by not bathing.
•This could have health implications,
particular for girls during menstruation

10. Findings: Water collection
• Males are responsible for collecting water due to social norms that constrict girls mobility and the fact that
water collection is perceived as a ‘dangerous’ and ‘difficult’ job.
• ‘Guys are the ones who go to fetch water, girls are not allowed to go to fetch water’ (15-year-old Syrian girl
living in Azraq camp).
Males are responsible for collecting water
• Adolescents have to travel multiple times a day to get water, and it can be very tiring. Water is also available
for only certain times a day and there are often long queues.
• ‘The number of times [we go to get water] is many. This causes us to become tired. We go [3 times] a day’
(17-year-old Syrian boy, Azraq).
In Azraq camp water collection can be challenging
“There is a great consumption on the water in summer. Ah, people quarrel a lot over water taps”
(17-year-old Syrian boy, Azraq).
Conflict can also occur over water, especially in the summer when water consumption is high.

11. Findings: Infrastructure
Infrastructure provides limited protection against extreme weather.
“Once, there was a strong storm and half of the
neighbourhood's ceilings fell off” (14-year-old Syrian
girl, Azraq).
Informal Tented Settlements (ITS), Jordan © Nathalie
Bertrams /GAGE 2019
• Extreme heat, rain and storms result in a challenging
living environment for many adolescents, especially those
in camps (living in caravans) or in ITS (living in tents).
• Risk of injury or health issues.
• Economic challenges can bring additional challenges –
lack of money for AC, gas or to improving shelters.
• Refugees provided with gas in camps for heating but not
sufficient in winter.
• Adaptive measures- some families have made their own basic air conditioners or use
rocks to hold down their shelters in strong winds.
“Sometimes it’s so hot that you can’t sit inside. [We don’t use
AC] because, it raises the bill” (15-year-old Syrian boy, living
in the ITS.

12. Waste disposal and sewage
‘I understand what you mean by recycling.
But, I haven’t witnessed it happening’ (16-
year-old, Iraqi boy, host community).
‘There is no place to discard it or put it.
There is no isolated place to dump it, so
we burn it. Anything’ (15-year-old Syrian
girl, ITS).
‘They only take the garbage out in bags
but other garbage on the street, he
doesn't collect. If a boy is walking in the
street and eating a snack, once he's done,
he throws its bag on the street’ (15-year-
old Palestinian girl, Gaza camp)
Garbage is collected most days, but streets are often still filled with
garbage.
Azraq camp is more organised and clean.
Limited awareness of recycling among adolescents and keeping
their environment clean
Lack of recycling infrastructure.
In the ITS, poor waste collection services result in people burning their
rubbish.

13. Transportation
‘No, it’s not easy [to go to the health centre]
because there is no transportation in the camp’
(14-year-old Syrian girl, Azraq).
‘I could not walk easily because of the heavy rain and wind and maybe I will
fall to the ground. In the camp there is no means of transportation, whether
there is rain or snow, or even stones are coming down from the sky, we will
walk on foot’ (17-year-old Syrian girl, Azraq).
‘When there is no public transportation, I don't go to
school, because I can’t walk in such a weather’ (15-year-
old Palestinian girl, Gaza camp).
• Significant issues with transportation (due to
cost and poor infrastructure) adolescents often
have to walk for long distances which is difficult
in extreme weather.
• This can impact access to schools, healthcare
facilities and ability to do daily chores.
• Some boys travel on bicycles – gender norms
prevent girls from doing the same.
• Remoteness of Azraq camp means
transportation is very difficult.
• Girls are further restricted in their mobility due
to gender norms and risks of sexual harassment.

14. Implications for policy and practice
1
• Given the challenging living environment for many refugees in Jordan, a key priority is investing in improved
access to and scaling up of age- and gender-responsive social protection to help households protect against
climate-related shocks.
2
• Given the levels of water scarcity and challenges in water collection, strengthening WASH facilities is also
critical, particularly increasing the number of water taps in refugee camps and exploring alternative water supply
sources (e.g desalination of seawater and recycling of wastewater).
3
• Given the unfavourable surrounding environment due to the build up of garbage in the streets, improved and
subsidised garbage collection systems are also key, to discourage the burning of garbage in the ITS. Investments
in street cleaning initiatives could also be explored.
4
• Given that poor transportation systems restrict adolescent mobility especially during high temperatures or heavy
rain, investing in public transport systems, such as promoting the use of affordable mini-buses, is another
priority area for action.

15. Contact Us
WEBSITE
www.gage.odi.org
TWITTER
@GAGE_programme
@MeganDevonald
FACEBOOK
GenderandAdolescence
About GAGE:
 Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence
(GAGE) is a nine-year (2015-2024) mixed-
methods longitudinal research programme
focused on what works to support
adolescent girls’ and boys’ capabilities in
the second decade of life and beyond.
 We are following the lives of 20,000
adolescents in six focal countries in Africa,
Asia and the Middle East.