Jordan, France sign 10m-euro water resilience agreement

AMMAN — Jordan and France on Monday signed a 10-million-euro project agreement to boost the water sector’s resilience in northern Jordan, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Water Minister Hazem Nasser and French Minister of State for Development and Francophonie Jean-Marie Le Guen signed the agreement detailing the project to be implemented by non-governmental organisation Action Against Hunger.

The project will be implemented as part of the European funding programme in partnership with the EU through the Neighbourhood Investment Facility, the German government’s KfW Development Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD) at a total value of 152 million euros to support the Jordan Response Plan to the Syrian crisis.

The funding seeks to improve water and sewerage services in Irbid and Ramtha and to serve 1 million residents by installing over 270 kilometres of water pipes and 100km of sewage pipes, Petra reported

The water sector’s resilience project began with support from the French Crisis Centre, affiliated with France’s foreign ministry.

The project aims to support 10,000 families over the next three years. 

Prior to the signing ceremony, Nasser discussed the increase of funding to boost infrastructure and basic water and sewerage services with Minister Le Guen, French Ambassador to Jordan David Bertolotti, EU Ambassador to Jordan Andrea Matteo Fontana and AFD Manager in Jordan Serge Snrech. 

Nasser highlighted his ministry’s efforts to reduce water loss to around 30 per cent by 2025, in order to increase the water per capita share for drinking purposes.

The water minister commended the French government’s support to the Kingdom, noting that, in the past few years, the support had reached more than 400 million euros. He added that the total of French investments in the water sector during the past 15 years equalled more than $1 billion. 

For his part, the French minister stated his country’s support to the Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project aimed at increasing per capita share of drinking water in Jordan. French Ambassador Bertolotti noted the lack of resources in Jordan in a time where it faces various pressures, including the Syrian crisis.