AMMAN, Nov. 7 (Petra) – Experts and academics gathered at the University of Petra on Saturday for the second day of the "Future of Water: Innovative Approaches to Water Management in the Arab Region" conference to address critical water security challenges, smart distribution infrastructure, and artificial intelligence applications in leak detection.

Discussions highlighted Jordan's acute water deficit, where annual per capita availability has dropped to approximately 61 cubic meters–nearly 88 percent below the international absolute water scarcity threshold of 500 cubic meters per year.

Former Minister of Water and Irrigation Dr. Kamel Mahadin called for institutionalizing partnerships between academic institutions and the water sector. He stressed the need to form permanent technical advisory committees composed of engineering faculties to support strategic decision-making and transition from seasonal crisis management to research-backed planning.

Former Minister of Water and Irrigation Dr. Hazim El-Naser detailed how smart sensors and automated diagnostics can locate pipeline fractures without extensive excavation. El-Naser noted that traditional maintenance sometimes required replacing entire 10-kilometer pipeline stretches costing up to $10 million, whereas smart sensor monitoring systems can safeguard the same infrastructure for under $100,000.

Professor of Water Engineering at the University of Jordan Dr. Radwan Al-Weshah reviewed Arab region progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). He highlighted Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principles, focusing on social equity, economic efficiency, and environmental sustainability.

Addressing national infrastructure, Al-Weshah described the National Water Carrier Project as a cornerstone of Jordan's long-term water security strategy. The project aims to supply 300 million cubic meters of desalinated water annually, conveying it 450 kilometers from Aqaba to central and northern governorates while overcoming engineering challenges involving an elevation lift of up to 1,100 meters above sea level.

Al-Weshah urged integrating solar power to offset pumping operational costs and emphasized modernizing distribution networks in tandem with desalination projects to curb non-revenue water losses.

The second day concluded with presentations on practical research from University of Petra faculty, including graph neural networks and AI algorithms for electronic pipe burst detection, computational models for treatment plant optimization, and smart irrigation frameworks to reduce agricultural consumption, which accounts for nearly 50 percent of national water usage.

//Petra// AA