Environmental Health Workshop, Amman

 Amman, Jordan, 5-9 April 2014

This workshop was hosted by our Jordanian partners.   Dr Balsam Ahmad from Newcastle University, together with Professor Yousef Khader from Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) led the planning and organisation. 

Eighteen participants from five countries (Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Turkey) attended, with a range of interdisciplinary backgrounds including environmental management, public health, environmental engineering, sociology and medicine.

The format of the workshop included single lectures, case studies, group discussions and field work.  It was led by ten facilitators including Professor Tanja Pless-Mulloli, Professor Peter Phillimore and Dr Balsam Ahmad (UK);  Dr Jarrah Al-Zu’bi, Dr Saad Al-Kharabsheh, Dr Munjed Al-Sharif, Professor Ziad Al-Ghazawi, Dr Muna Abu Dalo (Jordan), Dr Fouad Fouad (Syria) and Dr Reem Musleh (Palestine).  The facilitators came from interdisciplinary backgrounds including environmental epidemiology, environmental engineering, medical anthropology, environmental management and public health.

The workshop was intensive and took place over five days, including a one day field visit to the JUST campus. The main focus of the visit was to see first hand a real life small-scale wastewater treatment plant, and to understand the process of waste water treatment and the environmental and health issues relevant to treatment and use of reclaimed water in irrigation. Professor Ziad Al-Ghazawi from JUST led the fieldwork visit.  Other topics covered in the workshop included:

•             An introduction to environmental health

•             Air pollution and health

•             Environmental management tools and geographic information systems

•             Minimum water requirements for health protection in Jordan

•             Environmental health adaptation to climate change      

•             Environmental monitoring and environmental adaptation to the refugee crisis in Jordan

•             Shelter and health at times of peace and war

•             An introduction to geographical health inequalities

•             Solid and hazardous waste management and health

•             Environmental and social justice: principles, methods and case studies

•             Lay risk perception and dealing with community concerns

•             Contaminated land and health (dealing with the media: case study and an interactive session)


There was a free afternoon on the fourth day, with participants enjoying a visit to historic Jarash and a gala dinner there, after the field visit to JUST on the third day of the course. 

The majority of the participants who left feedback were very positive.  Many appreciated the interdisciplinary nature of the course, as well as the varied backgrounds and experience of the participants, which was reflected in group discussions and exercises.  The majority found the field visit, case studies and group exercises useful.