EIB offers up to 2m euros in technical assistance to Jordan Valley water project

AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Wissam Rabadi on Thursday signed a grant agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) of up to 2 million euros to provide consultancy services to support the Jordan Valley Water Resources Project.

The grant is being provided in the form of technical assistance from the bank's Economic Resilience Initiative (ERI), according to a Planning Ministry statement.

The consultancy services covered by the grant include preparing a technical and economic feasibility study, detailed designs and bidding documents, as well as assessing environmental and social impacts, climate change and options for redistributing water resources from irrigation-related purposes to households.

The agreement was also signed by Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abul Saud on behalf of the recipient of the grant, which is the Jordan Valley Authority.

The project to support the Jordan Valley’s water resources comes within the framework of a broader programme aimed at adapting to climate change in Jordan.

It is proposed that KfW (German Development Bank), the EIB and the EU contribute in providing facilitated financing for the project in the event of the completion of feasibility studies in favour of the project. 

Rabadi voiced appreciation for the support provided by the EIB as a development partner for Jordan, noting that the bank has worked in the past years to provide facilitated financing through loans and technical and investment grants to Jordan to finance projects in key sectors.

These key fields include industry, mining, energy, electricity, education, water, sanitation, transportation and development in the private sector and the infrastructure sector, the minister said, adding that this support has been given in addition to a number of feasibility studies in the fields of energy, water and transportation.

Rabadi highlighted the EIB’s interest in increasing its funding to Jordan to provide assistance in light of the requirements of the current conditions resulting from the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The EIB’s ERI for the period 2016-2020 is part of the EU’s response to challenges in the southern and western Balkan countries such as asylum, forced displacement, migration, economic contraction, drought and floods.

It also works to contribute to job creation and economic growth through investing in vital sectors and services that support sustainable infrastructure such as water, energy and electricity, as well as through improving education, healthcare, local transportation and urban services.

The ERI also supports the development of the private sector, small companies and micro-enterprises.