@JUST - key officials and participants at the workshop

Under the auspices of the Minister of Water and Irrigation, Dr. Hazem Nasser the workshop on the Groundwater Program in the Azraq Basin has been launched. The program is being executed by the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

In his opening speech, delivered by Ali Sobh on Dr. Nasser’s behalf, the assistant of the secretary-general of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, pointed out that Jordan, which is one of the world’s poorest countries, is a unique example facing water challenges. The challenges are mainly caused by the water scarcity and the influx of refugees due to conflicts in the region, the most recent of which are the Syrian refugees. The water share per capita is less than 100 cubic meters per year, which represents 20% of the quantity defined for the water poverty line. Dr. Nasser added that the Ministry of Water and Irrigation has already begun to implement the UN objectives of sustainable development. The Ministry has also launched a National Strategic Plan for water between 2016 and 2025 and its related policies, in addition to the investment program. He also pointed out that the Ministry of Water and Irrigation pays special attention to working with all partners in order to apply the principles of fairness and good governance in the field of water resources management, and looks forward to the conclusions and recommendations that will emerge from this workshop.

For his part, Dr. Nasredin Hag Elamin, FAO representative to Jordan, said that this workshop is part of the FAO’s Regional Water Scarcity Initiative in the Near East and North Africa, which was launched in 2013. It primarily aims to determine the priorities in the field of water management, in order to improve agricultural productivity and increase food security through the sustainable management of water resources. Nasredin added that this workshop, which is part of a regional project that includes Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, aims to identify the required actions to achieve the principles of the good groundwater governance in the Azraq Basin, which is suffering from drain due to excessive pumping and requires the involvement of all concerned parties in the decision-making and raising the level of awareness to the importance of groundwater. This workshop will be a platform for dialogue and experiences’ exchange in the field of groundwater management at the regional level.

In the speech delivered at the opening session, Dr. Hani Abu Qdais, Assistant to the President of Jordan University of Science and Technology and Project Manager in Jordan, said that the topic of the workshop on groundwater governance in the Azraq basin is particularly important when taking into account the scarcity of water resources in Jordan and the pressures that the country is exposed to. He added that, given the University of Science and Technology’s awareness of the size of the challenges faced by Jordan due to the scarcity of water, the university has followed a dedicated path to get to quality educational outcomes that would contribute to the plan, design, implementation and execution of water projects through graduating engineers who are able to face the requirements of the current situation and put up with technological development and knowledge flow in engineering, water and environmental management fields.

During the workshop that extended over two days, and which was attended by representatives of the local community, farmers and civil societies in the Azraq region, as well as representatives of ministries and government institutions, the program’s team reviewed and discussed the results of the study that was undertaken in the Azraq Basin about groundwater governance and the required steps to achieve a good governance. The workshop also showcased experiences in groundwater management from both Morocco and Tunisia.

FAO experts presented a case study on their work on Sanaa’s groundwater basin in Yemen, in presence of FAO technical Officers from FAO HQ in Rome, the regional Office for the Near East and North Africa in Cairo, as well FAO representation in Jordan.

Through their working groups, the participants brought out the most important challenges facing the groundwater management in the Azraq Basin, and suggested the necessary solutions to meet these challenges.