WAJ reviews water sector's challenges in Glasgow-hosted UN COP26 conference

AMMAN — Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) Secretary General Bashar Batayneh participated in the Glasgow-hosted UN COP26 conference and reviewed the major challenges facing the water sector, such as the shortage of water resources, the ramifications of climate change and the demand pressures.

Participating in a workshop organised by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) on the relation between water and energy, Batayneh said that the water sector strategy focuses on reducing the volume of expenditure and consumption. The power consumption of WAJ and other water companies in 2019 totalled 1,655 gigawatts/hour, while the consumption of the Jordan Valley Authority stood at 50 gigawatts/hour. 

He added that the water sector and all affiliated institutions in the Kingdom seek to respond to Royal efforts aimed to develop the living conditions of Jordanians, according to a WAJ statement. 

The secretary general also referred to the energy and water challenges facing the Kingdom as a result of exceptional circumstances, such as the Syrian crisis. Jordan is the second largest host country of refugees per capita globally, which has resulted in the rise of the power bill from some $100 million in 2010 to more than $300 in 2019. 

He also noted that the Kingdom’s water strategy focuses on reducing power cost and consumption, where the electric power consumed in the water sector constitutes some 15 per cent of the total energy consumption in Jordan. He added that power costs account for 43 per cent of the water sector’s operational costs.

Batayneh added that the efforts of the water sector are now focused on expediting the implementation of the Aqaba-Amman project to desalinate the Red Sea water and transfer it to all governorates of the Kingdom, with a capacity of 300 million cubic metres annually. 

The project, after its operation expected in 2027, will contribute to shifting to the 24-hour water supply, he added.