The Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union EU provided a grants worth (25) million euros and three grants worth (52) million euros to support the water sector in Jordan through the German Reconstruction Bank (KFW) signed today by the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nasser Al-Shraideh, representing the government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Minister of Water and Irrigation, Eng. Muhammad Al-Najjar and Ennis Martin, but a Senior Portfolio Manager for Water Program at the German Reconstruction Bank (KFW) in Amman, in order to finance the sixth part of the Water Resources Management Program (loans of 48 million euros from the German Reconstruction Bank (KFW) with the aim of improving wastewater treatment and dispose of sludge in an environmentally friendly manner.

 The Minister of Water and Irrigation, Engineer Muhammad Al-Najjar, confirmed during the signing with the representative of the Bank, Ines Martin, director of the water program at the German Reconstruction Bank (KFW) in the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, and the Secretary-General of the Water Authority, Eng. Bashar Al-Bataineh, and the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Dr. Jihad Al-Mahamid said that the implementation of these water and sanitation projects in the areas of Amman, Irbid, Ramtha, Jerash and Ajloun, especially the communities hosting Syrian refugees, will serve about 80,000 people, indicating that the water sector seeks with all its capabilities to enhance the water situation and improve the environmental reality in cooperation with donors and funding agencies, which will be reflected in the development of Services provided to citizens.

The minister reviewed the projects that are being implemented in the water sector, the plans and programs funded by Germany and the European Union, and the projects intended to be implemented through these four packages with the aim of enhancing the efficiency of water networks, reducing waste and improving the capacity of water resources aimed at improving their management, and distribution mechanisms for all water sectors, and the challenges of reducing losses and reducing costs. Operation and maintenance, improving the delivery of water to citizens, raising the capacity and efficiency of the networks, and linking new areas to the sewage networks, stressing the need to cooperate with all relevant authorities to ensure the completion of work with high efficiency.

During the meeting, Engineer Muhammad Al-Najjar, Minister of Water and Irrigation, expressed the gratitude and appreciation of the Jordanian government and the Ministry of Water and Irrigation for the great support provided by Germany and the European Union, especially through the German Construction Bank KFW, for the water sector to face the water challenges that the Kingdom suffers from and to face the burdens of asylum, especially in the water sector.

Secretary General of the Water Authority, Engineer Bashar Bataineh, clarified that the project includes the extension of the sewage network in the areas of southern Amman, where sewage services will be connected and delivered to a number of areas to serve about (80) thousand citizens. The water allocated for irrigation purposes and to relieve pressure on fresh water resources, as well as the expansion of the sewage sludge landfill in the Khirbet As-Samra plant and the establishment of two additional cells.

The Secretary-General added that the second grant to which Germany contributes in the amount of (52.4) million euros is provided as grants through the German Development Bank KfW to finance the project (Water Supply and Sanitation Services for Syrian Refugees and Host Communities - the ninth and tenth phases) and (Infrastructure planning adapted to Climate change in the water sector), which will contribute mainly to the rehabilitation of water networks and the implementation of new sewage networks to ensure the expansion of sewage service in various locations in the governorates of Irbid, Mafraq, Ajloun and Jerash. In addition, the new subsidy aims to improve water supply and wastewater disposal for selected poor households.

 

And Eng. Batayneh indicated that the third grant agreement, worth 3 million euros, includes the support of the Water Authority to contribute to the implementation of the project (climate-adaptive infrastructure planning in the water sector), as this project aims to ensure efficiency and advanced planning to create new investments in sewage systems in Amman. and Zarqa, stressing that farmers in the agricultural areas adjacent to the existing and newly planned sewage treatment plants will benefit from the sustainable provision of properly treated sewage water for irrigation purposes in accordance with the Jordanian standard for irrigation water.

For her part, the representative of the German Reconstruction Bank (KFW) Ines Martin, the first manager in Amman, explained that the European Union (including Germany) fully supports the reform of the water sector and infrastructure in Jordan with a focus on water efficiency, waste reduction, and the provision of fresh water, which It is one of the main issues in Jordan.

The value of the continuous bilateral support from the European Union to the water and sanitation sector in the form of grants and soft loans provided to the water sector, including (the framework for the response to the Syrian refugee crisis) is more than 150 million euros, which increases the investment to more than (500) million euros.