ESCWA, together with UN-Habitat, GCoM, the GCOM-Gap Fund, and the Palestinian Federation of Local Authorities, held a regional forum called “Climate Finance Track” to connect municipalities from Jordan, Syria, and Palestine with donors to support climate adaptation projects.

The event took place in Amman on 10–11 February and brought together government officials, city leaders, experts, banks, and development partners. Thirteen municipalities were chosen from more than 140 applicants and presented projects to address issues such as drought and rising temperatures. Several funders showed interest in follow-up talks.

The forum marked the end of a six-month program that helped cities prepare strong climate project proposals. Participating municipalities worked closely with experts so their plans would meet donor standards and be ready for funding, helping build a regional portfolio of climate-ready projects worth about $44.5 million.

In her speech, ESCWA official Carol Shoshani Sharfan highlighted a major funding gap for adaptation, noting that financing for such projects in the Arab region has been less than half of mitigation funding over the past 15 years. Other speakers stressed that cities still struggle to access climate finance due to limited data, capacity, and difficulty meeting donor requirements, while participants said the forum improved their readiness to work with funders and expand sustainable investment opportunities