By nharnish
اهلان!! Hello again form Jordan
My time here has been quite the adventure, and my research on water development in the region has been fruitful indeed. Oe of my first milestones to gaining access to the world of water scarcity around me was o find a quality internship within the development field. I was incredibly lucky to be accepted as an intern with the USAID project PAP, or Public action Project with water, energy, and the environment.
The oppurtunaties that have arisen from this internship have given me the chance to see and interview numerous official I would not otherwise have access to. For instance, the PAP hosted a conference in Wadi Rum a few weeks back and I was able to attend. The conference was a chance for the Ministry of Water and Irrigation to show off the new DC Aquifiers. This short term water solution taps into underground water to provide the city of Amman with clean drinking water for a short time until the government is able to find alternative water sources.
The Aquifiers will take a large part in my research, and I plan to explore them fully while I'm here. My own opinion on them is one of concern. I believe that the DC Aquifiers are a great way to ensure that the people of Amman aren't without water, but I'm worried that this short term solution could be viewed as as a long term solution in the eyes of many who are not knowledgable about what exactly the Aquifiers can do and how much water is available through them. I believe that the Ministry of Water and Irrigation must do more public media campaigns to ensure that individuals conserve water one the Aquifiers start pumping, and continue to do so until more solutions are found. Furthermore, it is imperative that the government agencies continue to strive for alternate water sources and solutions.
Another great oppurtunity the USAID has given me is the current project I'm working on. This project is a grant given to a local water company and the Ministry of Water and Irrigation to spread awareness about using water valves in water holding tanks within the households. There is a common misconception int he city that the valves reduce the amount of water that goes into the tank with every refill, and this is obviously not true. The campaign is directed to families and households who have cut their valves or do no own one to explain the necessity of the valves and provide information on where to find the right type.
More recently, I've been looking at the very real concerns over refugee camps and their impacts on water sources nearby. There is a large concern in the region that refugee camps are poisoning nearby water sources and drawing too much from clean sources. The illegal wells within the camps draw unregulated water and are done without proper guidence of foresight. So far the government has not addressed this issue, and I'm interested to find out when they do.
Lastly, in the coming weeks I will be given the oppurtunety to sit in on lectures by local water experts both within and outside the Ministry of Water and Irrigation. I've been working on my questions for them these past few days and I'm excited to see what they have to hear.
Jordan remains a beautiful paradise within a region known to be plagued by unrest. I'm confident in its future and the water issues I once thought to be immensely dire seem to be challenges that the Hashemite dynasty can overcome.