Amman, Sept. 25 (Petra) - Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abu Saud on Thursday discussed joint water issues with Syrian water officials on the sidelines of a Jordanian-Syrian technical workshop on integrated water resources management held in Amman.

The Syrian side was comprised of Taher Omar, Assistant Director of the General Directorate of Water, and Ahmad Kawan, Director-General of the General Authority for Water Resources.

Talking at the meeting, Abu Saud said water security is "a cornerstone" of stability, development, and prosperity, especially amid the accelerating effects of climate change across the region and the world.

He noted droughts and floods require urgent adaptation measures, warning that failure to address them would have severe economic and social impacts that cannot be resolved through infrastructure projects alone.

Abu Saud called for strengthening governance, restructuring water institutions, adopting international management standards, improving groundwater management and protection, enhancing legislation, and expanding reliance on renewable energy, adding that Jordan has taken "effective and tangible" steps in these areas.

Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) Secretary-General Hisham Haisa reviewed key aspects of bilaterl cooperation, particularly in climate adaptation, sustaining and protecting water sources, and raising water awareness levels, stressing that a number of joint programs are underway.

In turn, Omar praised the "warm reception and constructive" cooperation to address shared water challenges, commending Jordan’s "prudent" water management in efficiently handling water scarcity.

//Petra// AO