Jordan Times
Friday, October 20, 2006
Grants to help rural
communities manage water resources
AMMAN (JT) — American Ambassador to Jordan David Hale delivered grants totalling
$300,000 to 30 community organisations based in the Balqa, Ajloun and Karak
governorates this week as part of US support to Jordanians in rural communities
and their efforts to save water.
With support from the US Agency for International Development, the grants are
part of a larger project known as the Community-Based Initiatives for Water
Demand Management.
The project is a five-year effort designed to help Jordanians in rural
communities manage local water resources to meet local needs, according to a US
embassy statement.
In this context, the project will also train select community organisations on a
range of management and technical subjects.
By working through local community organisations, the project will assist
residents and other users in Balqa, Ajloun and Karak to address water demand
issues and to raise awareness of lessons learned among government policymakers
and donors.
Through their individual grants, participating community organisations may
implement a variety of water-saving projects, including the installation of drip
irrigation systems, the construction and maintenance of rainwater harvesting
cisterns, and the improvement of residential water storage, the statement added.
Over the next five years, the project will operate in all 12 governorates of the
Kingdom, providing a total of 150 grants averaging $10,000 each.
The majority of grants provided to the community organisations will operate as
loan funds and will support the households of ordinary Jordanians in each
governorate to develop and implement water resource management methods.
The project is implemented by Mercy Corps, an international relief and
development organisation, in cooperation with the Jordan River Foundation and
the Royal Scientific Society.
Ambassador Hale presented each of the $10,000 grants to the 30 voluntary
societies and cooperatives during ceremonies hosted by the governors’ offices in
the three governorates.
Ministers, members of Parliament, national and local government officials and
community leaders attended the presentations.