‘Construction of Wadi Zarqa-Maeen Dam to conclude in two years’

AMMAN — The Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) has started construction work on the Wadi Zarqa-Maeen Dam to store floodwater for drinking and irrigation purposes, according to a government official.

The new dam will be built with a capacity to store 2 million cubic metres (mcm) and is expected to be completed within two years, JVA Secretary General Saad Abu Hammour said Monday.

“The dam will cost JD10 million. It is being constructed to protect the environment and people from flash floods, provide additional water for crop irrigation and tourist ventures, and to expand agricultural lands in the surrounding area, which stretches from Wadi Zarqa-Maeen towards the Jordan Valley,” Abu Hammour added.

Located south of Madaba Governorate, Wadi Zarqa-Maeen is one of the water trails favoured by hikers and adventure seekers due to its waterfalls and pools as well as its rich vegetation, according to web sources.

The JVA secretary general noted that construction of the Wadi Zarqa Maeen Dam is part of the Water Ministry’s water harvesting plan announced in August last year to raise rainwater storage in dams by over 25 per cent within five years.

Under the plan, new dams will be constructed to raise the overall storage capacity from the current 327mcm to more than 400mcm. The plan entails the construction of new dams and scores of sand dams, desert dams and ponds in the badia to meet the water needs of local communities and recharge underground aquifers to improve their water quality, according to the ministry.

Construction of the dam is funded by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) grant. In 2011, the GCC allocated $5 billion to finance development projects in Jordan between 2012 and 2016. 

Some $425.4 million of the grant is designated for water and sanitation projects.

Ten major dams are located across the Kingdom, in addition to more than 143 large ponds to collect floodwater in the desert and over 25 sand dams.

Although expensive to build, dams are vital for the Kingdom to secure its water needs, according to experts.