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Grant-in-Aid to Jordan for "Project for Improvement of Water Supply System to Greater Amman (Phase II)": assistance to enable the people of Jordan to actually feel the achievements of the Middle East peace process

September 5, 1998

1. The Government of Japan has decided to extend to the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan a grant-in-aid of up to 7,422 million yen in total for the second phase of project to improve the water supply system to Greater Amman. Official notes to this effect were exchanged on September 5 (Sat.) between Mr. Koichi Matsumoto, Japanese Ambassador to Jordan, and Dr. Nabil Anmari, Minister of Planning of Jordan.
      The grant-in-aid for this project will be extended over the next four years, and its breakdown is as follows:
   
      FY1998: up to 221 million yen
      FY1999: up to 2,257 million yen
      FY2000: up to 2,513 million yen
      FY2001: up to 2,431 million yen
   
   
2. There is little rainfall in Greater Amman, where approximately half of the country's total population lives, and the residents rely for drinking water on underground water from the suburbs and water from the canal. These sources, however, are insufficient to meet the demand, so that the during the dry season of summer, the residents have been obliged to lead a difficult life with water supply available only once or twice a week.
      As a result of the peace treaty concluded between Jordan and Israel in October 1994, Jordan's quota of water supply from the upper reaches of the River Jordan was increased. An additional supply of water from Israel to Jordan was started in May 1997 as an interim measure until a new water source, as agreed under the peace treaty, is developed. While the amount of available water has thus increased as a result of the peace, the urgent task now is to endure that this water can be made potable and put to good use in Greater Amman where the population is increasing rapidly.
      In this situation, the Government of Jordan formulated the second phase of project to improve the water supply system to Greater Amman to double the capacity of the water supply system from canal linking the River Jordan to Greater Amman. It requested grant assistance from Japan to be used for the procurement and installation of the equipment necessary to expand the pumping stations, and for the expansion of water purification plant.
   
   
3. This project, when completed, is expected to improve the supply of potable water in Greater Amman, obviate the water supply restriction in winter and greatly mitigate the water shortage in the summer. It is also expected to conserve the reserves of ground water, whose overpumping is threatening to deplete the supply and increase the salinity.
   
   
4. In FY1996, Japan implemented the first phase of this project which consisted of the rehabilitation of the water supply system.