jordan pulse -

Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abu Soud met on Sunday with the Acting Resident Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Jordan, Paul Obio, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation to address water challenges and climate change. The talks focused heavily on the project "Building Climate Change Resilience in Jordan through Efficiency in Agriculture Water Use" and the regional Water Scarcity Initiative.

Abu Soud emphasized the project's strategic importance, noting that it is Jordan's first initiative funded by the Green Climate Fund. Targeting the governorates of Madaba, Karak, Tafilah, and Ma'an, the project aims to optimize water use efficiency within the agricultural sector and strengthen the capacity of local communities and institutions to adapt to the impacts of climate change. The minister also underscored the pivotal role of the regional Water Scarcity Initiative in safeguarding water and food security, optimizing water resource management, and expanding the utilization of non-conventional water sources, including treated and desalinated water.

For his part, Obio praised Jordan's ongoing efforts to manage severe water scarcity. He highlighted the value of collaboration between the FAO and the ministry on both national and regional levels, particularly regarding transboundary water management and fostering coordination between the water and agricultural sectors.

Obio explained that the climate resilience project is built upon three primary pillars, which include improving water security and scaling up the use of non-conventional water resources, supporting climate-smart agricultural practices and institutional capacity building, and investing in education and community awareness regarding modern technologies. He added that this framework contributes to strengthening Jordan's climate resilience and ensures the active engagement of all relevant stakeholders throughout the execution phases while integrating a gender perspective to guarantee inclusive participation and equal opportunities.

Furthermore, Obio noted that the FAO’s Water Scarcity Initiative serves as a strategic framework to address acute water shortages across the Near East and North Africa region. It achieves this by improving water resource management, deploying climate-smart farming and water-harvesting techniques, supporting the reuse of recycled water in agriculture, and promoting international cooperation to tackle water deficits in the agricultural sector.

//Petra// AF