Planning and policy formulation in Jordan prior to the 1990s was based on a sector-specific approach with little consideration for environmental concerns. It can be said that environmental planning and policy formulation came to age in 1991 when the National Environmental Strategy (NES) was formulated by a national consultation process led by the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and the Environment with the technical assistance from IUCN and financial assistance from USAID.

The NES was the first environmental strategy in Jordan, and indeed in the Arab world. It has responded in content and recommendations to a large extent to the famous "World Conservation Strategy" of 1980 formulated by IUCN, UNEP and WWF.

Based on the NES Jordan was in a good political and strategic position to sign and then ratify the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992 during the Earth Summit. Two years later Jordan signed and then ratified the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Completing most of its international obligations and on the foundations of the NES, Jordan opted to develop a practical environmental action plan in 1995. The National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) was prepared in a national consultation process coordinated by the Ministry of Planning and it included a prioritized action plan based on results.

The NEAP remained to be the environmental guidebook in Jordan, with most of its proposed project either implemented or started to implement. In 2000 Jordan launched its multisectoral National Stratgey for Sustainable Development which was called "National Agenda 21" with technical and financial support from UNDP. The National Agenda 21 involved the participation of numerous organizations and individuals and was the most important participatory and learning-by-doing policy formulation effort in Jordan to date.

Between 1998 and 2006 an array of sectoral policies, strategies and action plans were developed and paved the ground for a solid policy framework. A total of 12 environmental related policies and action plans were developed between 1998 and 2006 covering water, poverty, agriculture, tourism, biodiversity, energy, youth, socio-economic development plan, childhood and desertification.

In 2005 however, Jordan embarked on the most promising and inclusive national planning process by developing the "National Agenda" which is a blueprint for political, economic and social reform and development covering almost all sectors of national development. The Agenda included a specific sector on environmental sustainability. The Agenda is currently considered as the basis of public planning included various performance indicators. The environmental portfolio of the national agenda was developed under the chapter of "Infrastructure development" and contained recommendations and action programmes in biodiversity, desertification, land use, marine ecosystem, waste management and air pollution reduction.