Gov’t embarks on mapping programme to mitigate flood risk — Abul Saud

AMMAN — The convention on the implementation of the National Flood Mapping Programme (NFMP) by the Ministry of Water And Irrigation comes within the framework of governmental efforts aimed at responding to flood dangers, as well as, alleviating the effects of torrents occurring sporadically in the Kingdom during the winter season, Water Minister Raed Abul Saud said.

The convention aims to enhance cooperation and mutual assistance, in addition to upholding the programmes of the National Centre for Crisis Management, which include early warning systems and evacuation plans, with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Swiss government and the Swiss International Cooperation Programme valued at about $3 million, the minister added in a statement made available to The Jordan Times on Thursday.

“In recent years, Jordan has been affected by flood dangers, which during the past three decades caused 120 fatalities, negatively affected thousands of persons and caused massive economic losses, resulting in speeding up the implementation of these programmes to reduce disaster hazards,” he added.

Abul Saud highlighted the importance of the national programme which also gears towards identifying and analysing all risks, as well as, designing solutions and developing measures to be taken in the Kingdom’s national institutions, in addition to applying spatial planning, zoning and structural and non-structural procedures.

The director of the crisis management and control department at the ministry, Ibrahim Obada, said that according to the available data, floods are among “the most frequent natural disasters”, at a rate of 56 per cent in the years between 1990 and 2014.

Obada said that in 2018, several flash floods occured, the first of which was on October 25 near the Dead Sea, which resulted in the death of 21 persons.

He also said that nearly 4,000 visitors were evacuated from the ancient city of Petra due to flash floods on November 9, 2018, and later that same day 13 people died as a result of torrents near Amman.

“The government hastened to take practical steps and launch the national strategy for disaster risk reduction,” Obada added.

The programme aims at providing all necessary information that helps in building an integrated approach to disaster risk management to avoid any new risks by implementing policies that would contribute to enhancing resilience and reducing the consequent losses, the statement said.