DUBAI – On Saturday, Omar Salama, the
spokesperson for the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, confirmed Jordan’s
participation in the United Nations
Climate Change Conference (COP 28) held in
Dubai at the beginning of December, to achieve sustainable investment in
confronting the effects of climate change and enhance the links between water,
agriculture, and food.
اضافة اعلان
Salama reported to Al-Ghad that
COP28 embodied
an important opportunity to present the serious challenges facing the Jordanian
water sector, which was supervised by the previous Minister of Water and
Irrigation, Raed Abu Saud.
The Kingdom is one of the countries most
affected by climate change, especially since it has hosted millions of refugees
during the past few decades, creating a sharp decline in the per capita share
to less than 61 cubic meters annually.
In COP 28, Salama pointed out the importance
of water systems and national climate plans, parallel to the necessity of
cooperation to confront the effects of climate change that are increasing day
by day. He emphasized the need to increase financing and support provided by
financial institutions and expand the participation of the private sector.
Salama added that the ministry is exerting
their full efforts to build a better management system for the available
water resources. They are confronting these challenges by expanding the participation
of the private sector and providing solutions to achieve food and water
security through the development of smart irrigation for agriculture.
This is in addition to its measures to
increase the coverage of the sewage service, expand the treatment of wastewater
and reuse it in agriculture and industry. Jordan is one of the leading
countries benefiting from treated water according to international standards,
reaching about 200 million cubic meters annually in this field.
Simultaneously, Abu Saud reiterated the
importance of the role of the private sector in the water sector, and the need
to enhance its participation in the development of the water sector and the
provision of services to citizens.
Abu Saud also confirmed the Royal directives
to accelerate the implementation of sustainable water projects. Jordan
implemented the Disi Water Conveyance Project to secure 100 million cubic
meters annually, “but the crisis of the flow of Syrian refugees has exacerbated
the challenges, and we are currently working hard to accelerate the
implementation of the national carrier project for desalination of
Red Seawater with a capacity of 300 million cubic meters annually.”
He focused on the need to find solutions to
common water issues between countries, considering them a real and dangerous
challenge that threatens social and food stability among different countries
that share basins and water sources.
Jordan’s experience in enhancing and
developing water resources was reviewed by enhancing water harvesting from
rainwater and building collective wells in institutions and homes, as well as
building pits and dams. Officers were appointed to liaise with successful
projects and present them at the 2024
General Water Conference to be held in
Baghdad.
A report issued by the
Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) drew attention to the importance of official
negotiations concerning water during the COP 28 conference. Recognition of
water is an increasingly important key factor in effective climate action.
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