Jordan Times
Thursday, August 26, 2004
'Water resources
management' training programme for Iraqis opens
AMMAN (JT) — The Water Resources Management training, part of the Third Country
Training Programme for Iraqi specialists, started yesterday.
Musa Jamaani, deputy secretary general of the Jordan Valley Authority and
Hisatoshi Okubo, JICA representative of the Iraq unit, attended the opening of
the course, which is part of the reconstruction assistance to Iraq, according to
a statement released by the Japanese embassy in Amman.
The Japanese government has implemented various courses under the programme,
which trains participants from surrounding Arab countries in cooperation with
the Jordanian government.
The objective of the Third Country Training Programme for Iraqis is the revival
and reconstruction of Iraq, as is scheduled in the cooperation between Japan and
Jordan, the statement said.
The Japanese government has so far executed courses in power network systems and
statistics, and is considering implementing courses in the fields of waste,
education and culture.
The water resources management training will include site visits and inspections
to locations like the Wadi Arab Dam, King Abdullah Canal, the Hydrological
Monitoring and SCADA System Control Centre and the Zai Water Treatment Plant.
The purpose of the programme is to provide the 24 participants — nominated by
Iraqi ministry of water resources — with the opportunity to update their
knowledge and skills and to exchange practical experiences with the Kingdom in
the field.
At the end of the two-week programme, participants are expected to understand
comprehensive management systems and how to utilise water resources effectively.
According to the statement, the Japanese government regards the water sector as
one of the most important fields in the assistance to Jordan. It has cooperated
in the construction of the Wadi Arab Dam to secure water for irrigation,
strengthening functions of the Zai Water Treatment Plant, and construction of
reservoirs and water distribution pipelines in Zarqa to expand its water network
functions.
Rehabilitation and expansion of Jordan Valley water networks are planned, and
Japan is also tackling the issue of `Non-Revenue Water.'
This cooperation has enabled the Kingdom to have an outstanding water-saving
technology in the region for the reuse of water and planned water distribution,
the statement said.
Meanwhile, Japan has announced the extension of $1.5 billion as per Grant Aid in
2001 and $3.5 billion as per loan aid from 2005 to 2007, for Iraq.