Governorates, Sept. 21 (Petra) -- Farmers in Tafileh and Maan are receiving practical training on the safe use of reclaimed water for irrigation as part of efforts to ease pressure on scarce water resources and strengthen agriculture's resilience to climate change.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) conducted workshops and field training covering suitable crops, irrigation methods, water quality and safety standards, as well as the legal and regulatory requirements governing the use of reclaimed water in agriculture.
The activities brought together 50 farmers and civil society representatives, four representatives from the ministries of Agriculture, Water and Irrigation, and Environment, and four wastewater treatment plant workers.
Participants visited wastewater treatment plants in Tafileh and Maan to examine the treatment process, plant operations and procedures for testing water quality. They were also briefed on storage and distribution systems, safety requirements and the costs and fees associated with using treated water for irrigation.
A separate field visit provided a practical demonstration at a farm where reclaimed water is used through a drip irrigation system to irrigate olive trees, allowing participants to examine its application and exchange experience on appropriate farming practices.
The training also addressed social and cultural attitudes toward reclaimed water and the role of civil society organizations in raising awareness and encouraging its safe and responsible use.
FAO Policy and Education Specialist Samia Akroush briefed participants on efforts to improve water-use efficiency in agriculture, expand climate-smart farming practices and strengthen the capacity of local communities and civil society organizations.
The workshops were organized under the Building Resilience to Cope with Climate Change in Jordan through Improving Water Use Efficiency in the Agriculture Sector (BRCCJ) project, which seeks to help farming communities respond to water scarcity and climate-related pressures through improved resource management and practical agricultural practices.
Funded by the Green Climate Fund, the project is implemented by FAO in partnership with the ministries of Water and Irrigation, Agriculture and Environment and the United Nations Development Programme.
The project, which falls within the Economic Modernisation Vision, covers Madaba, Karak, Tafileh and Maan in the Dead Sea Basin, where water scarcity and climate change pose particular challenges to agricultural communities.
//Petra// RZ
