UNICEF, Miyahuna launch Climate Resilient Water Safety Plan in Madaba

AMMAN — A new Climate Resilient Water Safety Plan (CRWSP) developed by UNICEF in collaboration with Jordan Water Company, Miyahuna is aimed at addressing the existing and potential challenges to water security and at providing a framework for proactive and adaptive planning to ensure sustainable water supply in Madaba Governorate.

The plan adopted an enhanced version of the World Health Organisation’s guidelines and used a risk-based approach to identify the hazards and risks facing Madaba water supply systems, according to a UNICEF statement.

The CRWSP includes a five-year improvement plan containing climate resilient solutions and a roadmap for implementation of more than 20 projects and supporting programmes to ensure sustained future water supply.

“Water scarcity affects children’s health, development and future well-being by limiting access to safe water for drinking and for practising basic hygiene at home, in schools and in healthcare facilities,” said Tanya Chapuisat, representative of UNICEF Jordan.

“UNICEF will continue to work closely with government of Jordan and partners to support capacity building to identify and address the risks to WASH services posed by climate change and water scarcity,” she added.

Mohammad Al Ouran, CEO of Miyahuna, said: “Miyahuna manages water supply, distribution and sanitation services in the middle governorates in Jordan since 1999. Our partnership with UNICEF has special importance because it is the first water safety plan of its kind that will be implemented in Jordan linked to the issue of climate resilience Water Safety Plan.”

Climate change and rapid population growth has stretched Jordan’s water resources and supply systems beyond their design limits, challenging the Kingdom’s sustainable development ambitions, with water demand increasing by 40 per cent in northern governorates, annual renewable water resources of less than 100m3 available per person, significantly below the threshold of 500 m3 per person which defines severe water scarcity and underlying aquifer extractions exceeding recharge capacity, read the statement.

This scalable Climate Resilient Water Safety Plan will support the Government of Jordan to improve water security by strengthening climate-resilient water and sanitation services in climate-vulnerable communities through rehabilitation and construction of water infrastructure and enhancing dialogue to support community engagement with the most vulnerable people, women and children. 

The Climate Resilient Water Safety Plan was supported by the United States Department of State, the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

The report and findings will be officially launched for potential donors and the wider public at a workshop in June 2021, concluded the statement.