27% of Water Flowing into Jordan 'Lost' - Jordan News

Jordan News

12-07-2025

The Ministry of Water and Irrigation and the Judicial Council held a national workshop on Saturday to discuss ways to protect water resources in the Jordan Valley and enhance national efforts in facing the growing challenges in the water sector. اضافة اعلان During the opening of the workshop, Minister of Water and Irrigation, Eng. Raed Abu Saud, highlighted the major challenges facing Jordan's water sector. He stressed the importance of addressing water challenges, the increasing impacts of climate change, and the repeated violations of water resources, all of which pose serious obstacles to the sector's efforts to provide water to citizens and farmers. He explained that the National Water Strategy includes strengthening effective management of available resources and working to improve water consumption efficiency—whether through technological projects or in partnership with national and international institutions. The minister also praised the role of the Public Prosecution, the Judicial Council, and both public and private institutions in supporting the ministry's efforts and enforcing the law to ensure the protection and preservation of water resources for future generations. For his part, the Attorney General of Amman, Dr. Hassan Al-Abdallat, emphasized that water security and the protection of water resources is a shared responsibility that requires the concerted efforts of all parties. This begins with raising public awareness about the importance of conserving water sources, stopping violations, and reporting offenders. He added that these efforts also include the role of judicial officers and relevant employees in tracking violations, and the pivotal role of the Public Prosecution in apprehending violators and referring them to the judiciary to achieve both general and specific deterrence. Dr. Al-Abdallat emphasized that these measures aim to protect vital water resources and ensure their sustainability for future generations, underlining the need for everyone to fulfill their roles in safeguarding the nation's water security. Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the Judicial Council, Dr. Ali Al-Masimi, praised the constructive cooperation over the past three years, noting that enforcing the rule of law and fully coordinating with all executive, legislative, and judicial bodies contributes to the development of the criminal justice system and the achievement of justice. Secretary-General of the Jordan Valley Authority, Eng. Hisham Al-Hayasa, outlined the authority's role in water management and agricultural development in the Jordan Valley. He pointed out that the valley's water system suffers from a water loss rate of up to 27% of the total flow. This includes physical losses due to leakage and administrative losses due to illegal water use, which calls for intensified efforts to enforce laws and monitor water resource usage. He expressed appreciation for the efforts of all ministries and national institutions, and also praised the collaboration between the judiciary and the relevant ministries, as well as international partners like the Water Conservation Project for their continuous support of this important workshop. He looked forward to practical programs that would enhance water security and sustainable development.
The workshop included an in-depth discussion on the challenges facing the water system, the Authority's plans to bolster national efforts, and the importance of joint cooperation among various national institutions to ensure effective policy implementation—particularly enforcing laws to confront the increasing attacks on water facilities amid rising demand for water resources.