Investing in Water
This USAID-funded water plant in Jordan is bringing 100,000 cubic meters of water daily to 700,000 people in thegreater Amman area. (Photo: USAID)
MIDDLE EAST BUREAU WATER PROGRAMS
Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, West Bank/Gaza, and Yemen
CONTACTS
Scott Christiansen
Senior Agricultural Development Advisor
Tel: (202) 712-0745
Email:schristiansen@usaid.gov Overview
Access to clean water is critical for economic growth and the health of populations across the Middle East and North Africa. The hurdles facing the region include improving water-use efficiency through technology and better management, ensuring low-cost and effective treatment of wastewater, and increasing water access; these challenges are compounded by global climate change. USAID works with communities and local partners to address these issues throughout the region.
Programs
Enhancing Water Resource Management
Across the Middle East and North Africa, USAID focuses on managing the use and allocation of limited water supplies and working with strong institutions to carry out public mandates. USAID helps the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture to enforce water policies regarding efficient irrigation systems, especially in regions where water is very scarce. In Jordan, USAID supports the development and enforcement of water protection policies, water conservation, and the training of 2,600 people, including members of urban households, rural agricultural producers, and industrial users, in water-use efficiency and conservation approaches.
Improving Irrigation Systems
USAID aims to increase water efficiency by improving irrigation systems. In Egypt and Yemen, USAID partnered with local officials to train agricultural students and farmers on drip irrigation techniques and fertilizer and pesticide management practices, with a focus on improving efficiency and yields on over 800,000 hectares of land. Reclamation and treatment of agricultural wastewater are also areas of investment, as the use of irrigation has increased.
Developing Water Infrastructure
USAID helps Middle Eastern countries achieve technical and financial sustainability and improve operations and management of their wastewater treatment plants. In the West Bank and Gaza, USAID completed activities to improve the water facilities in rural areas and enhanced the quantity and quality of water for 485,000 residents in the Hebron Governorate. In Lebanon, USAID supported the design and construction of 23 wastewater treatment plants that benefitted more than 250,000 people in the Litani watershed. In Jordan and Egypt, USAID supports projects to expand and rehabilitate water supply systems reaching over 15.5 million residents.
Promoting Regional Networks
The Middle East and North Africa Network of Water Centers of Excellence is an emerging effort, in response to President Obama’s speech in Cairo in 2009. Links are being formed to promote and strengthen collaboration and exchange among Middle Eastern and U.S. institutions to tackle an array of water issues facing the region.
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