International Water Management Institute to open office at National Agriculture Research Centre

AMMAN — The Ministry of Agriculture, the National Agriculture Research Centre (NARC) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) have agreed to open an office for the International Water Management Institute at the NARC headquarters.

The establishment of the office aims to enhance partnership for cooperation and research in the areas of agricultural water resources management, improve water productivity, use non-conventional water resources in agriculture, improve water accounting and assessment, mitigate the impact of climate change on water and land use efficiency, and provide evidence-based solutions to enhance water and food security, according to a statement made available to The Jordan Times.

According to the discussions that took place between Agriculture Minister Khaled Hanifat, NARC Chairman Nizar Haddad and Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa of the International Water Management Institute Amgad Elmahdi, this exclusive partnership aims to integrate the efforts and expertise of NARC and IWMI to design and implement evidence-based research together that would support and sustain agricultural production and enhance water and food security. 

This partnership will entail training and capacity development activities in topics related to water and agriculture in order to raise awareness through exchange of knowledge and expertise, organising conferences and workshops, designing and writing joint proposals and fundraising to implement joint projects and initiatives to contribute to achieving sustainable development goals in Jordan.

Haddad emphasised the importance of this partnership since it is aligned with the strategic plans of NARC to develop research partnerships with international and regional research centres to address the most important challenges facing the agricultural sector.

Elmahdi expressed his gratitude and appreciation of hosting and offering the IWMI staff an office at the headquarters of NARC.

Elmahdi also indicated that the International Water Management Institute is currently implementing a number of regional and local research projects that serve the water and agricultural sectors in Jordan, in cooperation with many international and national institutions.

The IWMI office will be opened during the third quarter of this year, and a joint cooperation programme plan between NARC and IWMI will be drawn up accordingly, according to the statement.