The newly opened Water Training Centre (WTC) in Marka/Amman will offer theoretical and practical training on water management to experts from Jordan and the region according to international standards, said a Water Ministry statement.

On Monday, June 14, Water Minister Mohammad Al Najjar and German Ambassador to Jordan Bernhard Kampmann inaugurated the centre. Elisabeth Girrbach, country director of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ Jordan) and Ahmad Al Ulimat, acting secretary general of the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) attended the event.

The WTC has been re-opened after the completion of rehabilitation and expansion processes implemented by GIZ and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with a total amount of one million euros, the statement said.

At the inauguration ceremony, Najar said that the rehabilitation of the WTC, which was originally established in 1994, will contribute to developing and strengthening the capacities of water sector workers. 

He said that the centre will implement different training programmes, be it administrative or technical, using modern technical equipment, including digital simulators. 

It will also contribute to elevating workers’ expertise to better deal with the ever-growing challenges of the sector through diversification, knowledge enhancement, and capacity development. The trainees will acquire skills for the efficient management of water resources and the effective reduction of water losses, while enhancing a competitive attitude and elevating quality standards, the statement said.

The Minister expressed his appreciation of the German government and GIZ for their support to the WTC. 

With the new centre, which covers an area of 1,200m² including training halls and different facilities, the Jordanian-German cooperation is facilitating the dissemination of international expertise, for the centre is considered "an ideal coordination hub”, especially in tackling water scarcity challenges, read the statement.

In his speech Kampmann stressed the importance of qualifying and motivating the workforce in the water centre to further improve service delivery in the water sector. 

He further emphasised that Germany was fully aware of the enormous challenges Jordan is facing in the water sector, especially the extreme water scarcity, aggravated by climate change, the influx of refugees and lately the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Germany will further support the Jordanian water sector with an additional 26.6 million euros this year to address the significant loss of revenue caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the statement said.

According to Kampmann, Germany, the biggest donor in the water sector, is committed to sustain its large commitment to the sector.

Ulimat highlighted that the works at the WTC included the rehabilitation of training halls and introduced the possibility of remote training, which is crucial especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He added that there was a close exchange with partners in Egypt and Iraq for training purposes with the intention to collaborate with even more countries in the region.