Jordan: Cooperation with Chile to ensure water sustainability

Chile's public works ministry (MOP) signed a bilateral cooperation agreement with Jordan's public works and housing ministry that includes joint efforts to deal with water shortages in desert areas, an official from MOP's water authority DGA told BNamericas.

The agreement was signed on October 20, following a meeting in Santiago between President Michelle Bachelet, Jordanian King Abdullah II and his wife Queen Rania.

Coping with water scarcity in the desert is a priority for Chilean authorities and Jordan faces similar problems, the DGA official said.

Mining is a fundamental economic activity in both countries and it requires water resources to operate, said the official.

The agreement seeks to optimize research resources and share experiences to facilitate the provision of water for industrial, agricultural and domestic use, the official said.

Both countries face similar difficulties with desalination technology due to the high cost of pumping desalinated water to their industrial areas. Therefore, both have been working to research and develop renewable energy alternatives that would create sustainable solutions, the official added.

Another aspect of the agreement is to facilitate trade between both countries, and to increase trade between Jordan and South America in general, using Chile as the gateway to the region, the official added.

Jordan is a relatively poor country whose economy is based on mining and agriculture. This is one of the reasons why ensuring the sustainability of water resources for industrial use and irrigation is essential, just as it is for Chile, the official said.