Representing the University President, Professor Dr. Osama Nusier, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor Dr. Rajai Al-Rousan, sponsored the scientific symposium on climate change, global challenges, and local solutions, organized by the College of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the university in cooperation with the Mafraq Culture Directorate, in the presence of the Dean of the College of Earth Sciences, Professor Dr. Habes Al-Mashaqbeh, the Director of Mafraq Culture, Samer Khazaleh, the head of the Governorate Council, Majdi Al-Amoush, Dr. Afaf Al-Azamat from the National Center for Agricultural Research, and college students, at Prince Hassan Auditorium at the university.

This symposium aims to highlight the formulation of sustainable local strategies based on innovation and practical application in water resource management, activating rainwater harvesting, transitioning to clean energy, developing agriculture adapted to climate change, enhancing environmental awareness, and the role of academic institutions in facing climate challenges.

During the opening of the symposium, Dr. Habes Al-Mashaqbeh emphasized the necessity of integration between academic, cultural, and executive bodies to crystallize practical visions and sustainable development solutions that preserve national capabilities for future generations, adding that the concept of climate change is a tangible reality and a structural imbalance in the ecosystem, and referring to the university administration's directives and interest in scientific research and positive interaction with community and environmental issues and effective partnership with official and local institutions.

Samer Al-Khazaleh, Director of Mafraq Culture, explained that the role of the Ministry of Culture extends beyond sponsoring literary and artistic creativity to spreading awareness, enhancing community dialogue, and linking culture to community issues and priorities. He also pointed to the Mafraq Culture Directorate's keenness to strengthen partnership with academic institutions, foremost among them Al al-Bayt University, where we seek to employ culture and knowledge in raising awareness of environmental and climate challenges and transforming ideas into initiatives and practices that serve the community.

Engineer Majdi Amoush, head of the Governorate Council, spoke about the council's strategy and vision in directing financial allocations for projects in various sectors, utilizing specialized expertise, and finding alternative solutions and studies to deal with issues related to climate change.

Dr. Ahmed Shdeifat, Assistant Dean of the College of Earth and Environmental Sciences and a specialist in sedimentology, reviewed the most prominent climatic effects, including rainfall fluctuations, gas emissions, the decline in the Dead Sea level, and their implications for water stability, in addition to the depletion of water basins and their effects on agriculture, livestock, and pastures.

Professor Dr. Sara Al-Harahsheh also addressed the concepts of adaptation to climate change and mitigation of its effects, emphasizing the importance of expanding the use of clean energy, protecting forests, increasing agricultural land, improving water resource management, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, pointing to the specificity of Mafraq Governorate as one of the main governorates in supporting Jordanian food security.

Dr. Afaf Al-Azamat from the National Center for Agricultural Research highlighted the challenges facing the agricultural sector in light of declining and irregular rainfall, the importance of developing drought-resistant agricultural varieties that are more adaptable to climatic conditions, and enhancing the transfer of scientific research results to farmers.

Dr. Ibrahim Hamdan, Director of the Center for Environmental, Water and Energy Research and a lecturer at the College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, who facilitated the dialogue and discussion among the panelists, focused on a number of axes such as climate change and its global dimensions, the reality of climate changes in Jordan and their impact on water and food security, and innovative solutions and technologies for these effects.

The participants in the symposium came out with a set of recommendations, most notably updating climatic and agricultural databases, ensuring their availability and future utilization in planning and decision-making, applying integrated water resource management, giving priority to Mafraq Governorate in wastewater treatment and reuse, supporting scientific research and enhancing the role of research centers in finding practical solutions to climate challenges, expanding the application of smart agriculture and developing agricultural varieties capable of tolerating drought and salinity and adapting to climate changes, raising the level of community awareness among farmers, and involving them in designing solutions and initiatives that contribute to confronting the effects of climate change.