German-funded irrigation project inaugurated in Jordan Valley

AMMAN — Minister of Water and Irrigation Motasem Saidan on Wednesday inaugurated a project to rehabilitate the irrigation networks and pumping stations in the Kabd region in the Jordan Valley.

The ceremony was attended by German Ambassador to Jordan Bernhard Kampmann, Secretary General of the Jordan Valley Authority Manar Mahasna, Director of the Irrigation Department Osama Rahmaneh, and country director of the German Development Bank (KfW) Mark Schwiete.

Funded by Germany, represented by the KfW, the project stood at an approximate cost of JD16.8 million, according to a Water Ministry statement.

Saidan said that the project will contribute to raising the efficiency of distributing irrigation water, reducing maintenance costs, reducing water losses, in addition to strengthening and supporting farmers, according to Royal directives.

The project will achieve its goals through redesigning and constructing new irrigation networks in different areas with a length of about 177km, as well as installing valves, ventilators and manholes, he stated.

Saidan added that new pumping stations were constructed, which included rehabilitating the (TO86) pumping station, installing (1210) outlets for agricultural units and linking them to the SCADA system to serve 45,000 dunums of agricultural units in the southern Shuna district.

Saidan extended thanks for the continued support of Germany.

Both Saidan and Kampmann highlighted the significance of Jordanian-German efforts in light of the climate change adaptation project.

Agreeing on Germany’s financing of the second and third stages of the climate change adaptation project in the water sector, Saidan and the German ambassador oversaw the delivery of machinery provided through a grant from the German Reconstruction Bank with a value of 1.3 million euros for maintenance and operation purposes in the Jordan Valley.

Schwiete noted that this project comes to reduce the exposure of agricultural communities in the Jordan Valley to the effects of climate change.

The Kabd Valley irrigation project, which has been in operation since 1978, is suffering from a number of issues such as blockages in irrigation lines, pumps, and agricultural unit intakes, which led to a general decline in the efficiency of the project.