Amman, December 9 (Petra) – A World Bank mission, headed by Dr. Boutheina Guermazi, Director of Strategy and Operations for the Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan region, and Jean-Christophe Carret, World Bank Country Director for the Middle East, reviewed the Jordan Valley Authority (JVA)'s key efforts and projects in managing water resources and related infrastructure.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, JVA Secretary-General, Hisham Hayaseh, the authority's "pivotal" role in managing water resources and dams across the Kingdom, referring to its responsibilities in regulating land and housing in the Jordan Valley region to support sustainable development.
During the tour, Hayaseh stressed the importance of the JVA's role in managing shared water resources with neighboring countries and strengthening regional cooperation to ensure the "equitable and sustainable" use of water resources.
The delegation visited the proposed site for new Telal Al Dahab Dam, where the Director of Dam Studies, Mohammad Dayyat, presented a detailed overview of the project's strategic importance in regulating water flow from the King Talal Dam and storing the anticipated additional water volumes once the National Water Carrier Project and the treatment plants planned for the Zarqa Valley and northeast Balqa are operational.
For his part, Director of the Control Directorate, Laith Nusour, said the water management mechanisms and the King Abdullah Canal under the supervisory control and data collection system contribute to increased operational efficiency and supports water management and distribution processes.
Concluding the field tour at the King Talal Dam, the delegation was briefed from the Director of Northern Dams, Maher Abu Jama'a, on the dam's vital role in supplying water to agricultural projects in the Jordan Valley areas and its contribution to electricity generation.
Reviewing the key and major challenges facing the dam's operation, particularly sedimentation, Abu Jama'a noted Telal Al Dahab Dam would "significantly" improve sediment management and enhance dam efficiency.
The visit comes as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation between the JVA and the World Bank and support plans for developing the water sector and water infrastructure in the Kingdom.
//Petra// AG
