Amman, Aug. 17 (Petra) — The Jordan Valley Authority (JVA), in
partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) and the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, on
Monday launched a project titled “Reducing Sedimentation in the King
Talal Dam Basin to Enhance Water Security.”

The launching ceremony was attended by Dutch Ambassador Stella Kloth,
IUCN Regional Director for West Asia Hany El Shaer, local
municipality heads, and representatives of national and international
organizations.

JVA Secretary General Hisham Al-Haisa highlighted the project’s
importance in safeguarding water resources and optimizing the
efficiency and sustainability of storage infrastructure. He explained
that addressing siltation requires tackling soil erosion at its
sources in the upper catchment area before runoff reaches the
reservoir.

Al-Haisa emphasized that King Talal Dam is one of the Kingdom’s most
vital surface water storage facilities, providing crucial irrigation
water to farmers across the Jordan Valley. Preserving dam storage
capacities remains a top national water security priority, he noted.

Funded through a 10-million-euro grant from the Dutch government over
four years, the project employs an integrated strategy combining
engineering and nature-based solutions with technical and
institutional capacity-building. It aims to curb soil erosion,
restore vegetative cover, and treat sediment sources directly.

By the end of its fourth year, the initiative aims to reduce sediment
inflow into the reservoir by at least 10 percent. Al-Haisa stressed
that achieving this goal depends on strong cooperation among national
agencies, local communities, farmers, and international partners.

Ambassador Kloth reaffirmed the strength of the Dutch-Jordanian
partnership in addressing water scarcity and climate change
challenges. She stated that the grant reflects the Netherlands’
ongoing commitment to supporting Jordan’s water sustainability and
critical infrastructure, adding that she looks forward to seeing
tangible, long-term results.

El Shaer emphasized that mitigating siltation demands a comprehensive
approach focused on catchment basins and sediment sources. Combining
physical engineering with nature-based methods is vital to protecting
the dam, he said, reiterating IUCN’s commitment to collaborating with
the JVA to create scalable models for other river basins.

The initiative aligns with Jordan’s National Water Strategy
2023–2040, national climate policies, and the UN Sustainable
Development Goals, particularly those related to clean water, climate
action, and ecosystem preservation.

//Petra// AF