NARC event focuses on water, soil

AMMAN — The National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) hosted a water and soil scientific day that witnessed the participation of an agricultural delegation from the Saudi Ministry of Environment,  experts from both the public and private sectors and universities.

During the opening ceremony, NARC Director General Nizar Haddad highlighted the challenging situation Jordan faces regarding water resources, according to a statement from the centre. 

“Individual water share in Jordan has declined to 61 cubic metres following the arrival of refugees. In light of these challenges, the need to seek solutions through research projects at NARC has become a must,” Haddad said. 

He stressed the need to adopt solutions that include the optimal use of natural resources, improving water use efficiency, rainwater harvesting and reducing agricultural soil degradation through the optimal use of fertilisers, laboratory analysis of soil and water, in addition to implementing modern irrigation techniques and smart applications such as “WaFIRR” and “Ma' Al Muzare”. 

“Jordan uses 91 per cent of non-traditional water in irrigation for fodder crops in partnership with local and international partners, making Jordan one of the leading countries in the region in water resource management to tackle water challenges, despite scarce resources,” Haddad added.

Nabil Assaf, FAO representative in Jordan, commended the efforts made by NARC adopting modern irrigation technologies and improving water use.

Fahd Al Jamhan, head of the Saudi delegation and national director of the Technical Cooperation Programme of FAO in Saudi Arabia, highlighted the technical and research capabilities of NARC. 

Jamhan expressed the aspiration of Saudi Arabia to build a partnership with Jordan to exchange scientific and technological expertise.

Director of Water and Soil Research at NARC Luna Al Hadidi focused on the main achievements of the research projects in the fields of water and soil.