Amman, June 3 (Petra) – The Ministry of Water and Irrigation and the Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association (BORDA-Jordan) on Wednesday sealed a memorandum of understanding to launch the fourth phase of the "Strengthening Local Sustainable Sanitation Systems in Jordan and Tajikistan" project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The ministry's Secretary-General Jihad Mahamid told the signing ceremony that the memo aims to exchange technical and scientific expertise between the parties in the areas of wastewater treatment, groundwater protection, and joint efforts to enhance local capacities to adapt to climate change impacts, according to a ministry statement.

It is also to develop practical concepts and technical studies to offer solutions to environmental and water challenges, with a focus on decentralized wastewater management concept, said the ministry.

Mahamid said the project focuses on consolidating institutional and technical knowledge, enhancing advocacy, supporting multi-sectoral cooperation, and promoting decentralized sanitation solutions.

That will be achieved through building the capacity of stakeholders in the water and sanitation sector, including government institutions, academia, the private sector, operators, and civil society organizations, to enable them to plan, implement, and sustainably manage these solutions, he added.

For her part, Laura Senge, BORDA representative, said two specialized events will be organized to foster sectoral dialogue and come up with recommendations for sector development. Additionally, a specialized technical study will be prepared to find solutions for managing and treating industrial wastewater, and a legislative proposal will be drafted to update regulatory and operational frameworks for decentralized sanitation in the Kingdom, she added.

//Petra//SS