Planning for Secure Water Futures in Contexts of Drought and Displacement: Evidence from Mafraq, Jordan

This report, developed by UN-Habitat Jordan in cooperation with International Institute for Environment and Development, explores the intersection of drought, climate change, displacement, and urban water insecurity in Dahiyyat Al-Malik Abdullah neighbourhood in Mafraq City, Jordan. Developed through a multi-scalar analytical approach, the study examines how national climate pressures, regional water stress, rapid urbanisation, and refugee influxes converge to shape vulnerabilities at the neighbourhood level.

The report highlights how recurrent drought conditions, overexploited water resources, infrastructure limitations, and governance challenges disproportionately affect vulnerable urban communities, particularly Syrian refugees and low-income host populations. Combining spatial analysis, climate and hydrological data, policy review, stakeholder consultations, and community-level fieldwork, the study provides an evidence-based understanding of the Climate–Refugee–Water Nexus in one of Jordan’s most drought-stressed urban contexts.

The findings reveal that water insecurity in Dahiyyat Al-Malik Abdullah is not solely a result of physical water scarcity, but also reflects broader structural inequalities linked to informality, affordability, service access, and institutional fragmentation.

Building on these findings, the report proposes integrated recommendations across national, regional, city, and neighbourhood scales. These recommendations emphasize climate-resilient urban planning, inclusive water governance, infrastructure upgrading, nature-based solutions, refugee awareness on water rights and access procedures, and stronger coordination between municipalities, utilities, humanitarian actors, and national institutions.

By situating local realities within broader climate and displacement dynamics, the report contributes to ongoing discussions on urban resilience, equitable service provision, and sustainable water management.