Climate Change within Arid Environments: A Case Study of Local Perceptions in Jordan's Badia

A year-long survey (2021-2022) was conducted among 165 Bedouin households in Jordan's arid Badia region to assess local opinions on climate change. The study adopted both quantitative and qualitative approaches to assessing how residents perceive climate change, their observations of its physical effects, and its most significant economic and social impacts on their lives. The study concluded that overall locals were highly concerned with climate change and its immediate effects on the Badia. Moreover, the study reviewed a generational gap in climate change awareness and understanding, while older generations’ awareness is based on their own experiences and oral traditions to interpret environmental changes. In this sense, their responses to climate challenges are more focused on practical, physical alterations to the local environment. The younger generations, on the other hand, had more academic and media-based awareness of climate change, as a result, their solutions were more intangible and focused predominantly on awareness raising and education. The study also found several clear signs of climate change, including decreased rainfall, delayed rainy seasons, increased temperatures, and frequent waves of drought, with occasional sudden floods caused by soil destabilization and heavy rainfall. In conclusion, it is crucial to engage the views of the elderly, youth, and decision-makers, combining education, modern media, traditional knowledge, and practical experiences of local generations, to make sound decisions and identify important strategies that help mitigate the effects of climate change and enhance agricultural and livestock production.