CDM News - December 2007 - (Page 8)

“Jordan’s environmental health picture is characterized by severe water scarcity, rapid population growth and urbanization, and increasing waste discharges that place drinking water sources at risk,” said Kelly E. Rowe, P.G., CDM’s chief of party for the pollution prevention for environmental health protection project, known as P2EHP, which CDM is undertaking for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The project is implemented with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Water Authority of Jordan, and Jordan’s ministries of health, environment, and agriculture. Since 2001, USAID and CDM have worked with stakeholders across Jordan to implement technological, social, and institutional changes and establish a national watershed management framework. Amal A. Hijazi, Ph.D., USAID project officer, explained, “Now, P2EHP strengthens the strategic objectives of the USAID Water Resources and Environment Office, where our vision is to improve water quality through government and public partnership based on mutual trust, informed by high-quality data, and resulting from systematic procedures that enhance integrated water resources management.” Achieving Environmental Health A comprehensive, 3-year program initiated in 2006 to develop management plans and implement watershed management best practices throughout Jordan, P2EHP is enhancing integrated management, reducing water supply contamination, increasing public awareness and improving source protection behaviors, and strengthening water quality laboratories and environmental health protection partners. Hands-On Assistance Central to the program are multifaceted water management pilot and demonstration activities that offer immediate benefits. Working closely with farmers and small businesses, the team is promoting use of compost and integrated pest management for healthier crops; upgrading waste management at a slaughterhouse; and forming groups to address sustainable water and land use. The program is also funding construction of household sewer hookups and providing technical assistance, training, and commodities to support sound watershed management and increase rural participation. Agricultural demonstration sites show farmers how to plant in zones for insect control and compost using local chicken farm manure and vegetable waste from their own operations. Already, farmers have produced greater yields through the organic approach. Dr. Amal Hijazi (far left) of USAID attends a meeting with members of Jordan’s Ministry of Agriculture at a forestry station farming demonstration plot. Community engagement has focused on multiple audiences—university students, schoolchildren, and the general public—with clear messages about watershed management, pollution prevention, and sustainable consumption. In one task, CDM helped train 20 university students to perform house-tohouse surveys to identify homes not connected to the sewer. The students’ involvement allowed the Water Authority of Jordan to perform critical work they wouldn’t have otherwise had the resources to complete, while educating students about the environmental impacts of household systems. A central component of P2EHP involves educating youngsters on water conservation and protection. The far-reaching program features demonstrations with models, games, puzzles, puppet shows, and other child-friendly items. “We’ve reached 4,340 children through collaboration with the Ministry of Education—nearly 50 percent more than anticipated,” said Rowe. Public Outreach

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CDM News - December 2007

CDM News - December 2007 Contents Sustainable Utility Design for Harvard University’s Expansion Plan Sustainability Takes Flight at Los Angeles World Airports Sustainable Water Management in Jordan Operating in the 4th Dimension Interview: Brendan Harley on Integrated Urban Water Resources Management Modeling New Orleans’ Urban Metabolism Sustainability at CDM Highlights

CDM News - December 2007

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