Osama Gazal

The new Initiative is to institutionalize and oversee the link between the Jordanian water sector, academia, and research institutions, as well as supporters and NGOs of water resource management initiatives and research (a variety of organizations, including international organizations and institutions of donor and friendly countries, as well as organizations dealing with supporting the water resource management, particularly in water-stressed areas) via creating a Water Innovation and Research Unit (WIRU) at the ministry of water and irrigation.

It has always been impossible to pursue complementarity between the government and academic sectors. It has always been a difficult endeavor, but the pioneers are always on the hunt for the impossible.

Through the efforts of the five-year USAID Water Sector Governance Project in Jordan (USAID), which is based on assisting the Government of Jordan, represented by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, in implementing an integrated program of cooperation between the water sector and the academic and research sectors, to bridge the knowledge gap between the two sectors through the institutionalization of scientific research.

There is no doubt that the impact of the scientific momentum of specialists and the elite of society who are abundant in our academic sector will affect if it is well directed and focused on decision-makers, and thus the decisions taken will be on scientific bases and will avoid making mistakes that we must avoid by managing our scarce water resources and the mechanism of our water crisis management and adaptation to climate change.

Being the focal point and the beginning in managing the establishment of a water research and innovation center begins with developing authentic, strong, clear partnerships with the academic and research sectors, as well as with supporting partners.

All available resources will be employed to carry out the plan for making this innovation a success. And for this unit (WIRU) to become a water research and innovation center in the future, as well as one of the most essential pillars supporting scientific water resource management and providing the ability to tackle our water resource problems and difficulties.

I hope to take this initiative to the level envisaged by the inspired Hashemite leadership, which is to foster research and innovation. It is hoped that this initiative will result in many qualitative improvements to the process of managing water resources and adapt to the effects of climate change and the rising cap between demand and water availability in a country that I consider to be successful in managing water problems, not scarce and limited water resources, despite being the world's second poorest in terms of available water resources.

Dr. Osama Gazal

Director of the Water Innovation and Research Unit (WIRU)