British delegation, Jordan Water Authority discuss Kofranja dam project

AMMAN — Secretary General of the Jordan Water Authority Eyad Dhayyat on Saturday met with a British government delegation to discuss water issues in Jordan, the ongoing project of the Kofranja dam and its positive impact as a major water reservation storage in Jordan, a joint statement by the British embassy and UKaid said. 

The meeting was attended by the UK's Minister of state for the Middle East and North Africa Alistair Burt, head of the Department for International Development (DFID) Amanda McLoughlin and British Ambassador to Jordan Edward Oakden, in addition to community leaders and government staff. The Kofranja dam project is implemented by MercyCorps Jordan through the UKaidfunded "Leadership and community Development Programme". 

Speaking at the meeting, Burt offered his warmest congratulations to the newly appointed prime minister, Omar Razzaz, saying” "I look forward to working with his new government to continue building the UK-Jordan partnership."

“The UK is a partner Jordan can rely on, and we are committed to making sure the country remains a beacon of hope and stability in the Middle East. Our support is helping create jobs, providing a quality education and skills training, and ensuring that most vulnerable have the support they need," he stated.

“We are also hosting an international investor conference in London to build international support for Jordan so that the private sector can continue to be an engine for growth, giving all Jordanians the opportunities they deserve,” the minister was quoted in the statement as saying.

Programme Manager Zaid Hatokey mentioned that the project is "an example of the infrastructure and community development initiatives identified by community leaders of Jordanians and Syrians in host communities based on local priorities and needs to overcome any conflicts and pressure on public services due to the Syrian crisis". 

 “The success of this participatory approach in creating social dialogue and cohesion encouraged us to extend efforts and establish youth community leaders network to replicate the same methodology with a focus on local needs and initiatives required for youth," Hatokey noted, adding “we also established the first elected community leaders council to institutionalise and sustain the capacity-building and approach adopted by the programme.” 

 “Projects established in target communities included public safe spaces, football playgrounds, health centres, additional classrooms,  and rehabilitation centres for people with disabilities… Community leaders identified these projects and participated in managing implementation,” he concluded. 

The UK delegation met with the engineers involved in managing the Dam project and spoke to community leaders who highlighted the positive impact of the project on the area and Jordan as one of the major water collection and reservation projects in the Kingdom. They said it helped boost the agricultural area and attract visitors from Jordan and abroad as a touristic attraction.

In 2018, UK aid support to Jordan includes providing loans to encourage investment from other international donors, launching apprenticeships and vocational skills training to help 10,000 Jordanians over the next three years, and giving life-saving support to 60,000 of the most vulnerable refugees and Jordanians, the statement said.

The support is part of the UK’s long-term partnership with Jordan, which was discussed by His Majesty King Abdullah and UK Prime Minister Theresa May in November and is expected to witness a significant increase in funding and diplomatic support for Jordan.