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Ammon News - Minister of Water and Irrigation, Mohammad Najjar, said water loss, which has reached about 50% of quantities pumped into networks, is a "huge" challenge facing Jordan's water sector.

This situation comes, in light of constantly depleting water resources and increasing climate change impact, due to decline in rainy seasons and hike in population numbers, he added.

Najjar, in a press statement on Sunday, said the ministry's strategic plan, which was recently updated, features accelerating implementation of projects to replace networks, enhancing capacity and improving its performance to reduce losses by 2% annually, and achieving plan's goals by reaching global levels that don't exceed 25% by 2040.

Water loss plan, which forms a major part of the National Water Strategy for 2022-2040, is an "ambitious" program to reduce waste by 2% annually, by implementing projects worth about $350 million funded by USAID, he noted, adding that these enterprises are 10% financed by the government.

The plan aims to restructure and improve networks, and carry out administrative, technical and technological measures to improve water supply efficiency, improve distribution, reduce losses gradually and switch to pumping with natural flow, which saves energy and maintenance costs, he noted.

This process also extends lifetime of networks and control systems and expand programs to protect water sources and reduce attacks by beefing up monitoring campaign, he said.

Najjar added USAID-funded "compensation in a fixed amount" project, amounting to about $350 million, aims to reduce water losses by offering successive parallel projects in all the Kingdom's regions in multiple stages, aimed to achieve the water loss plan's goals.

These projects started in Amman through Jordan Water Company - Miyahuna, with a value of $30 million, to carry out activities to reduce water losses in the capital areas, he noted.

Under this scheme, operations expanded to cover governorates of Madaba, Zarqa, and Aqaba, with double financing value, to become $60 million, he pointed out.

The second phase agreement was signed in 2018, at a value of $152 million, to be completed by the end of 2023, he noted, adding that projects were are scheduled to be completed at end of 2025.