Jordan and the US have signed a $275m grant agreement to help the kingdom improve its water sector, it has been reported.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton witnessed the signing of the agreement in Washington DC on Monday by Mohammad Najjar, the Jordanian Minister of Water and Irrigation, Petra – the Jordan News Agency – reports.
The agreement will provide 20 percent of the funds needed to help improve Jordan’s water sector and will help increase the supply of available water by improving the efficiency of water delivery, wastewater collection and wastewater treatment.
The aim of the grant is to provide water and sanitation for over one million people in the city of Zarqa and will increase sewage services to around 82 percent of the city’s residents, according to a report by The Jordan Times newspaper.
The financing was provided by the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a US organisation which awards grants to developing countries that meet its criteria on both economic and social freedoms.
The US’ intention to help the kingdom improve its water sector was announced on September 16, following a meeting between Hillary Clinton and Jordan’s King Abdullah.
The grant will help increase water pumping in the Zarqa region by 50 percent, with work expected to start next year and due to be completed within five years.
Follow us on
