Ministers of Public Works, Interior, and Tourism inspect the flood damage in Karak and emphasize the importance of implementing radical solutions to face climate changes
Minister of Interior: Building in the valleys and flood paths poses an imminent danger that cannot be ignored
Minister of Tourism: Climate changes and increased soil humidity and water flows now pose a threat to heritage sites
Khaberni - Ministers Maher Abu Al-Samn of Public Works and Housing, Mazen Al-Faraya of Interior, and Imad Hajjajin of Tourism and Antiquities conducted an extensive field visit on Tuesday in Karak Governorate to assess the extent of damage caused by the torrential floods and floods witnessed by the province over the past forty-eight hours.
The tour began from the Karak Governorate building, where the governor, Qublan Al-Sharif, and the Director of Public Works, along with the heads of municipal committees, provided a detailed presentation on the exceptional challenges faced by field staff, explaining that the area experienced unprecedented rainfall, equivalent to one-third of the annual average in just two days, exacerbating pressures on infrastructure and services and revealing old regulatory gaps represented by violations and buildings constructed in natural flood channels, in addition to some municipalities’ limited technical and financial capabilities to deal with such extreme weather conditions.
Minister Maher Abu Al-Samn praised the relentless efforts of the emergency teams that continued to work around the clock, confirming that the ministry mobilized all its mechanisms to support the municipalities and work within its administrative boundaries to remove the impacts of destruction and open closed roads.
Abu Al-Samn explained that what happened in Karak represents a real wake-up call about the impact of climate changes that have begun to impose a new reality characterized by extreme rainfall, emphasizing that the ministry's strategy will move from temporary solutions to re-engineering vital sites to accommodate significant water flows.
The minister announced the immediate commencement of technical studies for the reconstruction of damaged sites, particularly in the "Ghor Namira" road, which was eroded by floods to a depth exceeding ten meters and a length of seventy meters, in preparation for offering reconstruction bids with the highest engineering standards.
For his part, Minister of Interior Mazen Al-Faraya emphasized the great importance of continuing integrated coordination between various security and civil devices to ensure a swift response and prevent loss of life.
Al-Faraya pointed out that building in valleys and flood paths poses an imminent danger that cannot be ignored, and that preserving the security and safety of citizens requires close cooperation between the local community and executive bodies to correct these situations and prevent their recurrence in upcoming rainy seasons.
Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Imad Hajjajin emphasized the need for a comprehensive and radical solution to the collapse that affected part of the historic wall of Karak Castle, where the ministers inspected the site of the Karak Gate project adjacent to the collapsed part and directed a comprehensive engineering study to evaluate the technical reasons for this collapse.
Hajjajin mentioned that climate changes, increased soil humidity, and water flows now pose a threat to heritage sites, necessitating precise scientific intervention to preserve the historical identity of the castle and protect it from future erosion and floods, confirming that the ministry gives this file top priority to ensure the safety of both visitors and the site.
The ministers of Public Works and Interior continued their tour with field visits, including the town of "Iraq," which was significantly affected by the floods, where they met with residents and heard their observations about the damage to their properties and their suggestions for enhancing drainage channels. They also visited the town of "Taiba" with the deputy Hussein Al-Tarawneh and examined the condition of the roads there.
At the end of the tour, the Minister of Public Works assessed the damage on the "Khurza" road linking Karak to the Jordan Valley, directing the relevant teams to immediately start treatments to ensure the continuity of traffic flow and the safety of road users, with the confirmation that all damaged sites will undergo comprehensive rehabilitation processes that match the scale of current climate challenges.
