USAID Pledges US$26 Million Towards Water Efficiency in Jordan

Miyahuna, the Jordan Water Company, has signed a US$22.6 million grant agreement with USAID to finance national projects aiming to reduce water losses. The deal was signed by Miyahuna Director-General Mohammad Al-Oran and is going to finance projects in the Amman and Zarqa regions to reduce water loss by up to 3.6 million cubic metres per year. 

Jordan had already implemented, between 2015 and 2019, The Water Loss Project, also funded by USAID, that tackled water efficiency issues in the country. Miyahuna will contribute a further $2.4 million and this will integrate the country’s effort to reduce water loss by 25% by 2040. Jordan has been suffering with insufficient water after a long-standing drought has hit the country and the government is determined to reduce water loss, increase efficiency and build and improve water infrastructure.

This project will fund the insulation of water lines, installation of leak detectors and a greater surveillance to detect illegal water links. As part of the agreement, Miyahuna will also draft a plan for the Central Region’s governorate to improve water infrastructure and accommodate increasing water demand. 

Back in June, the Jordan Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar and USAID had signed an agreement where the American aid agency pledged to increase funding to the country from $152 million to $227 million to tackle water loss. More recently, in September, US Ambassador to Jordan Henry Wooster toured the Jordan Valley to oversee progress being made on water efficiency projects in the region.