Amman: A World Bank mission, led by Dr. Boutheina Guermazi, Director of Strategy and Operations for the Middle East and North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan region, along with Jean-Christophe Carret, World Bank Country Director for the Middle East, has reviewed the efforts and projects of the Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) in water resource management and infrastructure development.
According to Jordan News Agency, JVA Secretary-General Hisham Hayaseh emphasized the authority's crucial role in managing water resources and dams throughout the Kingdom. This includes its responsibilities in regulating land and housing in the Jordan Valley to support sustainable development.
During the tour, Hayaseh highlighted the JVA's role in managing shared water resources with neighboring countries and enhancing regional cooperation to ensure equitable and sustainable water resource usage.
The delegation visited the proposed site for the new Telal Al Dahab Dam. Mohammad Dayyat, Director of Dam Studies, provided a detailed overview of the project's strategic importance in regulating water flow from the King Talal Dam and storing expected additional water volumes once the National Water Carrier Project and treatment plants in the Zarqa Valley and northeast Balqa become operational.
Director of the Control Directorate, Laith Nusour, discussed how the water management mechanisms and the King Abdullah Canal, under the supervisory control and data collection system, contribute to operational efficiency and support water management and distribution processes.
At the conclusion of the field tour at the King Talal Dam, the delegation received a briefing from Maher Abu Jama'a, Director of Northern Dams, on the dam's role in providing water to agricultural projects in the Jordan Valley and contributing to electricity generation.
Abu Jama'a also addressed the major challenges facing the dam's operation, particularly sedimentation, and noted that the Telal Al Dahab Dam would significantly improve sediment management and enhance dam efficiency.
The visit forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation between the JVA and the World Bank, supporting plans to develop the Kingdom's water sector and infrastructure.