Water Ministry, USAID sign agreement worth $22m

AMMAN — The Ministry of Water and Irrigation and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on Tuesday signed an agreement to support the development and modernisation of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, worth $22 million. 

It was signed by the acting Secretary-General of the Water Authority Rami Abu Rawwaq, and the USAID’s Water and Environment Office Director Andrew McKim, according to a ministry statement. 

The agreement is part of the “Fixed Amount Reimbursement Agreement” (FARA) loss reduction projects package, with a grant from the USAID of $20 million and a $2 million contribution from the Water Authority over four years.

Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar, who attended the signing ceremony, said that the agreement will help coordinate efforts between various water sector institutions to address water challenges, enable the sector to achieve the Royal vision for economic development, and promote government plans to improve services and digital transformation. 

He added: “It will contribute to preparing a policy and a standard model for data and information governance within water sector institutions, in accordance with the latest global systems and standards in order to improve the provided services and ensure their remote monitoring and providing clear and accurate information for decision-makers to take the necessary actions.”

The minister also expressed his appreciation for the continuous support from USAID, affirming that the effective partnership between the parties continues to develop and improve water supply performance in the Kingdom, protect its limited resources, provide technical support, improve the performance of companies operating in the sector, improve network infrastructure, and reduce water loss.

The secretary-general of the Water Authority pointed out that the agreement will include the development and modernisation of the SCADA systems for all water production, transportation, storage and supply systems in the Kingdom, as well as surface water, irrigation, dams and water supply systems in order to ensure the highest level of monitoring for all water sources.

He explained that the agreement includes a review of the ministry’s strategic plan to enhance and develop the capabilities of the water sector, and complete the automation of monitoring systems.