Khaberni - Water loss in Jordan has reached 42.3% after a reduction of 12% over the past few years, according to Hisham Al-Haysa, the Secretary-General of the Jordan Valley Authority.
Al-Haysa spoke on Tuesday, opening on behalf of the Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abu Al-Saud, a regional workshop titled “Regional Cooperation and Annual Review Meeting for the Water Scarcity Initiative,” which is held in the capital Amman over 3 days, with broad participation from international, regional, and national entities, and with representatives from the countries participating in the initiative, within the framework of the Water Scarcity Initiative in the Near East and North Africa, led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with ESCWA (ESCWA), UNICEF (UNICEF), ICARDA (ICARDA), the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), and with financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
According to a previous post by Miyahuna on Facebook, water loss is the water pumped into water networks but not billed for various reasons, either because it does not reach the citizens due to its leakage from broken water networks, therefore lost in the streets without being utilized, or due to inefficient water meters or water theft.
Al-Haysa indicated that efforts to reduce water loss come amid accelerating challenges that require a shared responsibility among the region's countries, increased regional cooperation and coordination, the development of integrated policies based on sound planning, resource use efficiency, reliance on data and scientific evidence in decision-making, and enhancing the frameworks of good water governance.
General Secretary of the Jordan Valley Authority, Engineer Hisham Al-Haysa stated that climate change poses one of the biggest challenges facing the region, noting that countries in the region, including Jordan, are among those most negatively affected by its impacts although they are not major contributors to it, a situation that imposes enormous pressures on water resource management.
Al-Haysa explained that the per capita annual water share in Jordan is the lowest globally, amounting to about 61 cubic meters per year for all needs during the last year, putting water security at the forefront of national priorities. In this context, Jordan is earnestly working on implementing the national water desalination conveyor project as one of the most critical strategic projects to enhance water sources and ensure the long-term sustainability of its management.
He referred to a significant achievement in reducing water loss by 12% in recent years, currently reaching 42.3%, affirming that these efforts arise amid accelerating challenges requiring shared responsibility among the region's countries, increased regional cooperation and coordination, the development of integrated policies based on sound planning, efficient resource use, reliance on data and scientific evidence in decision-making, and strengthening water governance frameworks.
He emphasized the importance of balancing sustainable development requirements and food security needs, particularly in the agricultural sector, which is one of the largest water consumers, while also highlighting the critical interconnection among the water, agriculture, environment, and energy sectors.
Al-Haysa showcased a real-life Jordanian experience that embodies this four-way linkage, where water is supplied to the capital Amman, then the wastewater is collected and treated at the Samra wastewater treatment plant, later mixing with spring water and rain along the Zarqa River reaching the King Talal Dam, the second largest dam in the Kingdom.
He detailed that water quality further improves within the dam, thereafter being utilized for generating electrical power, and subsequently feeding the southern part of the King Abdullah Canal over a 45-kilometer length, enabling irrigation of approximately 200,000 dunums (an Arab unit of area) of agricultural land.
He clarified that the management and distribution of water in this project was not limited to the governmental sector, but also involved the farmers through Water User Associations, in a model that enhances community partnership and improves management efficiency, representing a model that can be assessed, developed, and generalized, whether at the national, regional, or international level, urging its promotion among partners as a shared experience in integrated water resource management.
He called for the outcomes of this workshop to enhance regional cooperation and support the efforts of countries in achieving sustainable and equitable water resource management, thereby reinforcing both water and food security for the current and future generations, affirming the importance of establishing a collaborative relationship between upstream and downstream countries, and respecting the water rights of riparian states, considering that water scarcity worsens in the absence of fairness and effective cooperation among these countries.
The opening session featured speeches by representatives of the Arab League, the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, alongside a representative of FAO in Jordan, and a representative of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
The speakers emphasized the importance of enhancing regional coordination and collective action to confront the challenges of water scarcity and climate change and their impacts on food security in the region.
The workshop aims to review the progress made in implementing the program's activities during 2025, discuss action plans for 2026, enhance coordination and governance mechanisms and communication among partners, as well as exchange experiences and knowledge among the participating countries.
