Ministry launches new project to fight water scarcity in northern Jordan

Ministry launches new project to fight water scarcity in northern Jordan

AMMAN “” The Improvement of Northern Water Supply System project responds to a pressing need of increasing water supply in the northern governorates and forms part of the national water strategy aimed at optimising water distribution across the country, according to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

"The Ministry of Water and Irrigation has set itself the task of combating the water shortage in Irbid Governorate,“ Water Minister Motasem Saidan said during a meeting after the opening of the project, which will supply Irbid with an additional 30 million cubic metres annually.

"Increasing the water supply is only one aspect to improve the situation in the North. We need to have a comprehensive approach to improve the situation of the people, regarding water losses, water storage capacities and water saving,“ the minister was quoted as saying in a ministry statement.

The shortages in water were already a challenge for municipalities in Jordan's north when the system only had to supply Jordanian households. As numbers of displaced people from Syria seeking refuge in the region keep rising, host communities face an additional challenge, the statement said.

Providing an adequate supply of clean water "pushes many communities to their limits“. The Water Ministry has therefore initiated