Ministry, USAID ink deal to increase funding to combat water loss

AMMAN — Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar and USAID Mission Director Sherry Carlin on Tuesday signed an agreement to increase the funding of a grant the agency had previously pledged to Jordan to address water loss from $152 million to $227 million. 

A Water Ministry statement said that the total value of the three grants from the US agency to address water loss in the Kingdom now stands at $437 million. 

The funds will be used to improve the performance and efficiency of the use of water resources, as well as to improve the infrastructure of water networks by increasing the capacity of the water supply system, with the goal of eventually reducing water losses by 2 per cent annually.

Najjar said that this agreement is in line with the national strategy to reduce water losses in the Kingdom to less than 25 per cent with the support of USAID.

He said that the grant will cover all governorates, while $75 million of the additional funding will be dedicated to upgrading the infrastructure of Jordan's three water companies and the Jordan Valley Authority.

Najjar expressed gratitude to USAID for its ongoing assistance in enhancing the ministry's efforts to address water challenges in the Kingdom.

Veronica Lee, Deputy Director of the Water Resources and Environment Office at USAID, said that increasing the assistance provided is “a great investment” that is in line with the agency's commitment to improve the water sector, expressing appreciation for the efforts to develop the water sector.