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Ammon News - A German-funded technical workshop organized by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation began on Sunday to announce planning and management guidelines for water desalination facilities.

The 3-day workshop, funded by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), will look first-hand on latest global techniques in the desalination of brackish and sea water, according to a ministry statement.

Water Ministry Secretary-General Jihad Mahamid said desalination is one of the best ways to improve the water situation in Jordan, noting that traditional water sources are rapidly being depleted due to climate change and over-use to meet rising demand.

He said water supply in the future will largely depend on desalinated water, adding that the Aqaba-Amman project could be the first large-scale seawater desalination project in the Kingdom.

Mahamid stressed the need to improve planning and management capacities in the coming years, indicating that brackish water desalination could fill the gap by increasing water supply at a "relatively" low cost.

Secretary-General of the Water Authority of Jordan Bashar Bataineh underscored the importance of the guidelines to launch high-level desalination projects with low water treatment costs.

The sector is currently focused on finding sustainable sources to cover water needs and rehabilitate available sources under strategic plans to ensure water supplies to all regions under all circumstances, he said.

Bataineh stressed the importance of the Red Sea water desalination project, which includes an intake plant, water treatment facility, and a 450-kilometer pipeline to pump 300 million cubic meters to all regions of the Kingdom.