Water minister meets with South Korean, Dutch ambassadors

AMMAN — Minister of Water and Irrigation Mostasem Saidan on Monday discussed cooperation in the water sector in separate meetings with Korean and Dutch ambassadors to Jordan, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

During the meeting with South Korean Ambassador Lee Jae-wan, the two sides focused on measures to improve water supply and sanitation services, especially in the southern governorates and the Jordanian badia regions.

On his part, the Korean ambassador vowed to provide additional funding for water emergencies and expressed Korean companies’ interest in supporting the National Water Carrier Project (Aqaba-Amman). 

During the meeting with Dutch Ambassador Marc Hasselaar, Saidan examined the possibility of signing a memorandum of understanding with the Dutch embassy and the Yarmouk Water Company to develop programmes related to asses management and capacity building in order to properly operate and maintain sewage stations in the northern regions and the implementation of projects to change separate sewage lines in areas in need. 

Saidan also presented the ministry’s plan to construct dams and earthen pits in the Sarhan Basin and Ghuman to collect rainwater and exploit flood water by controlling its estuaries.

Hasselaar said that his country's government will assess the flood estates in the Sarhan Basin and provide the necessary financial support for various water harvesting programmes.