Amman, Sept. 13 (Petra) – The Ministry of Water and Irrigation/Water Authority on Sunday held a regional training workshop on developing risk-management plans for the reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture, bringing together experts from eight Arab countries.
The ministry said the workshop was organized in cooperation with the Scientific and Technical Committee for Agricultural Water (COSTEA) initiative, with support from the AdaptAction program of the French Development Agency (AFD), co-financed by the European Union.
Experts from Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco participated in the workshop, which focused on exchanging expertise and disseminating scientific knowledge based on the World Health Organization’s "multiple-barrier" approach to promote the safe reuse of non-conventional water resources and adaptation to water scarcity.
Water Authority Reuse Department Director Hamza Qudah said Jordan’s water sector is working to advance integrated water resources management and expand the use of treated wastewater as a key component in addressing water scarcity, in line with the National Water Strategy 2023–2040.
EU Delegation to Jordan Program Officer Marwan Saad reaffirmed the European Union’s support for the development of water sectors across the Mediterranean region.
Guillaume Merere, head of the Water and Energy Department at the French Development Agency, said the agency supports projects aimed at providing high-quality water, expanding its reuse in agriculture, and improving the management of treated wastewater.
COSTEA Regional Coordinator for Morocco and the Mediterranean Ehssan Meknassi outlined the initiative’s objectives and its role in improving agricultural water management efficiency.
The AdaptAction program, established in 2017, provides technical assistance to partner countries implementing the adaptation component of the Paris Agreement through research, strategies, master plans, feasibility studies, and training.
The program operates in 20 climate-vulnerable countries across Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. In North Africa and the Middle East, it is co-financed by the European Commission.
In Jordan, the program supports the water and agriculture sectors, particularly efforts to improve treated wastewater reuse and mobilize green investment.
//Petra// AO
