Project description

Title: Management of Water Resources Programme
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Jordan
Lead executing agency: Jordan Ministry of Water and Irrigation
Overall term: 2006 to 2015

Context

With 150 cubic metres of water available per capita and per annum, Jordan ranks among the world’s most water-poor countries. Water resources are currently so overexploited that sustainable supply to the population, industry and agriculture is under serious threat. If the nature and level of water consumption do not change drastically, the consequences for people and the environment will be impossible to predict.

Objective

The programme aims to promote the sustainable and efficient use of available water resources and to bring about a fair resolution to the conflicting interests of households, industry and agriculture.

Approach

GIZ is operating at all levels of Jordan’s water sector in this programme. The programme is examining the legal and institutional conditions at national ministries and showing pathways to new solutions. It is supporting water utilities in reducing water loss, compiling complete customer and production databases, training technical and managerial staff in cutting-edge technology and management and setting up organisational structures and processes to improve efficiency. GIZ is also working directly with user groups, especially farmers. The agricultural sector currently consumes about 65% of the available water, but accounts for only 3% of gross domestic product. Accordingly, farmers must use freshwater resources more efficiently and replace them with treated wastewater to a growing extent.

GIZ (until December 2010 GTZ, DED and Inwent) is implementing this project in cooperation with KfW Entwicklungsbank, the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) and the Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM). Several German companies are also participating through public-private partnerships (PPP). In addition, the programme is working in close coordination with USAID, JICA and ongoing EU projects.

Results achieved so far

Today water utilities are operating as decentralised semi-autonomous companies with private sector participation in six governorates, including Amman and Aqaba. The quality and quantity of the water supplied to the population (approx. 6 million people, including a considerable share of poor people) has improved. Water utilities’ operating losses have been reduced by more than 40%. In the current target region of the Middle Governorates, the involvement of local private companies has contributed towards a remarkable improvement in the utilities' financial situation and customer service quality. Water distribution has become more reliable and farm yields have risen thanks to the establishment of water users' associations that now cover about 40% of farmers in the Jordan Valley. Scarce water resources are being used more efficiently in irrigated farming, and farmers are showing greater readiness to pay water fees that recover costs. Some 30% of the farmers in the Jordan Valley have been trained in using treated wastewater for irrigation in a way that meets environmental and health standards. As a result, water of marginal quality is gaining acceptance, enabling the fresh water urgently needed by the population to be replaced with treated wastewater and brackish water for agricultural purposes in the medium term. The critical issue of the overexploitation of groundwater aquifers is being addressed through stakeholder dialogue with the Ministry of Agriculture. Supporting the Water Wise Woman Initiative (WWWI) in establishing a network of self-help groups to strengthen representation with the water authorities is a further component of the programme. The recycling of grey water in hotels is also becoming an important activity, as is supporting a knowledge platform for the water sector in Jordan in order to facilitate knowledge management.

GIZ is advising the Ministry of Water and Irrigation on strategic issues as well as on defining new water legislation. Furthermore, advisory services for the Ministry regarding human resources development, water allocation issues, budgetary and investment planning have markedly improved the ministry’s management expertise in Jordan’s water sector.

Further information

• Jordan Ministry of Water and Irrigation
  http://www.mwi.gov.jo