Jordan Times
Thursday, August 10, 2006
USAID launches
watershed protection project
AMMAN (JT) — Earlier this week, USAID along with the Water Authority of Jordan,
the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Environment launched a $6.75 million
watershed protection programme. This project, called the Pollution Prevention
for Environmental Health Protection (P2EHP) Project, works at the nexus of
water, health and environment to improve data management and decision support
during crises and to implement watershed management best practices across the
country with intensive work in pilot areas in Jerash, Wadi Seer and Zara-Maain/Wadi
Mujib by using a participatory approach to build capacity and align both the
community and their local government towards the greater goal of public health
and environmental protection. USAID and the government expect greater civic
responsibility in maintaining healthy watersheds, resulting in sustained
improvements in the quality of water resources. On a parallel track to
institutionalising sustainability following the “polluter pays” principle, the
project will work to create mechanisms for a socially equitable distribution of
the burden for environmental protection. Approximately $3.5 million of the
project funds will be directed to construction and capacity-building grants to
community-based organisations.