UN Agency Launches Water Project in Jordan Amid Climate-induced Scarcity

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced Wednesday the establishment of a $32.2 million project to bolster Jordan’s ability to cope with climate change. FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu launched the seven-year project, titled “Building resilience to cope with climate change in Jordan through improving water use efficiency in the agriculture sector,” at a workshop Wednesday on plans to increase the country’s water supply. Qu said Jordan was among the most water-stressed countries in the world, and that the project “will help the country address the complexity of the climate crisis.” The workshop, which was also attended by Jordanian Agriculture Minister Khaled Hneifat, discussed ideas such as the storage of treated wastewater and rooftop water harvesting and the reduction of household water consumption through the use of water-saving devices. Hneifat called for national and regional efforts to solve the issue of limited water resources, which he said was one of the most important challenges facing the kingdom’s agricultural sector. The FAO project will be rolled out in four governorates in the Dead Sea basin area, which are particularly vulnerable to climate change and water scarcity.