Khaberni - The Secretary-General of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Jihad Al-Muhamid, confirmed on Wednesday that groundwater has become a fundamental pillar of national water security amid Jordan's increasing challenges, during a specialized workshop on the groundwater resources assessment study in the Disi basin.
The workshop was funded by the French Development Agency, executed by BRGM, and in collaboration with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation and the Water Authority, attended by experts and representatives from the water sector and supporting entities.
Al-Muhamid mentioned that the national carrier project is a strategic initiative to desalinate about 300 million cubic meters of water annually to meet the Kingdom's water needs, contributing to achieving water security, enhancing self-reliance, bridging the water gap, and ensuring a sustainable and independent water source.
He explained that the project integrates applied research, numerical modeling, and capacity building for managing the Disi basin, considering it one of the largest non-renewable, transboundary groundwater systems in the region and a strategic source for the Kingdom.
He pointed out that the study aims to support the sustainable management of the basin through technical axes including a detailed assessment through the study of radioactive isotopes behavior in Dbidib wells and their surroundings, in addition to future prediction by foreseeing radium concentrations in groundwater over the next fifty years and linking them to pumping patterns, alongside technological development through updating the numerical model of water flow and developing classification maps to support future planning and designing new wells.
On his part, the Director of the Water and Energy Department at the French Development Agency (AFD) praised the close cooperation between the French Development Agency and the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, emphasizing the importance of the results of this study in providing decision-makers with accurate data that contributes to the efficient management of water resources in various provinces of the Kingdom.
In her turn, the Water Department Director at BRGM, Engineer Irene Belm, mentioned that the study results are significant in identifying the major future challenges the groundwater in the Disi basin may face in terms of quantity and quality, and assisting decision-makers in managing water resources and future projects in the water sector.
