Amman:The Agriculture Ministry, in collaboration with the International Labor Organization (ILO), has signed an agreement to commence the second phase of a project aimed at enhancing water use efficiency in agriculture across the governorates of Amman, Karak, and Jerash.
According to Jordan News Agency, the project focuses on completing activities that will develop irrigation infrastructure, reduce water loss, and improve the delivery of irrigation water to farmland. Additionally, it aims to create employment opportunities for local communities.
The Agriculture Minister, Saeb Khraisat, announced that this labor-intensive project is part of the "Afaq" partnership program with the ILO. The initiative is designed to support the ministry's efforts to improve water use efficiency, upgrade irrigation infrastructure, and reclaim farmland, while also providing temporary jobs to bolster rural communities and enhance farmers' livelihoods.
The project's second phase includes activities such as reclaiming farmland through soil maintenance and protection work, planting fruit trees, and rehabilitating over 3,300 linear meters of concrete spring water channels and 1,800 linear meters of irrigation channels. This phase is expected to generate approximately 445 temporary jobs, highlighting the importance of integrating water and agriculture projects with job creation, farmer support, and local development in the targeted areas.
Khraisat noted that the first phase of the project involved the maintenance and construction of irrigation channels, as well as the installation of irrigation pipes spanning more than 5,000 linear meters, to ensure efficient delivery of water to farmland and facilitate farmers' access to their spring water resources.