EBRD, UK and EU upgrade wastewater services in Jordan

• EBRD, United Kingdom and EU provide financing of up to US$ 30 million to Jordan’s water authority
• Financing package for the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant in Irbid, benefitting 200,000 people
• New facility will have the capacity to treat 12,000 cubic metres of wastewater a day

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting the expansion of Jordan’s sanitation infrastructure by extending a financing package worth US$ 30 million (€28.5 million) to the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) for the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant in West Irbid.

The financing package consists of an EBRD sovereign loan of up to US$ 19 million (€18 million), signed earlier this year, along with an investment grant of up to US$ 8 million (€7.2 million) from the government of the United Kingdom under the High-Impact Partnership on Climate Action (HIPCA) and a €2.75 million investment grant from the European Union (EU) under its Neighbourhood Investment Platform.

Jordan is a severely water-scarce country and its municipal infrastructure is being challenged by rapid population growth and a significant number of refugees. The new wastewater facility, located in Jordan’s second-largest city of Irbid, will improve and expand sanitation infrastructure services, benefiting up to 200,000 individuals by 2045. It will connect the inhabitants of surrounding towns with wastewater services for the first time, significantly improving their health and environmental conditions.

The new wastewater treatment plant will complement the ongoing construction of a wastewater network, which the EBRD has been supporting since 2018. Together, these projects will help alleviate the pressure on the country’s infrastructure and promote the use of sustainable water resources. Once completed, the facility will have the capacity to treat 12,000 cubic metres of wastewater a day.

The grant agreements were signed by Gretchen Biery, EBRD Director for Eastern Mediterranean region, Zeina Toukan, Jordanian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation and EBRD Governor for Jordan, and Raed Abu Soud, Jordanian Minister of Water and Irrigation, in the presence of EU Ambassador to Jordan Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas and UK Ambassador to Jordan Philip Hall.

EBRD Director for the Eastern Mediterranean region Gretchen Biery said: “We are very proud of our continued collaboration with the EU and United Kingdom in Jordan to help improve wastewater services in West Irbid, and we commend the Government of Jordan for its ongoing investments in core infrastructure. Working together, we are committed to improving Jordan’s municipal infrastructure, and this new wastewater facility will help deliver essential first-time wastewater services to the local community and to refugees, contributing to the livelihoods of West Irbid’s residents and promoting sustainable water management in the region.”

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan, expressed her gratitude to the EBRD, the UK, and the EU for their support of this vital service project and their continuous support for Jordan's developmental priorities under the Economic Modernization Vision. Minister Toukan explained: “The project aims to improve the wastewater system sustainably and relieve pressure on infrastructure, ultimately providing sanitation services to towns included in the project, benefiting around 200,000 people across villages in West Irbid and surrounding areas. Additionally, the treated wastewater will be used as a sustainable source for irrigating agricultural lands around the plant and neighbouring areas.”

British Ambassador, Philip Hall said: Almost all countries today need to make best use of their water, treating and re-using it, sometimes several times. This is especially true in this region. I am delighted the UK is contributing to this project which will help ensure that the water can be re-used and does not pollute the environment or the aquifers.”

EU Ambassador to Jordan, Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas “EU support to the West Irbid Wastewater Treatment Plant is part of a broader strategy to address water challenges in the north of Jordan. This project complements the West Irbid wastewater network project, which has been co-funded by the EU through an additional 20 million EUR grant. Jordan can count on our support to upgrade wastewater infrastructure across the country: the EU is currently co-financing the creation of 6 treatment facilities in Balqa, Madaba, West Irbid, Ramtha, Ghabawi, and Azraq.”

The HIPCA was launched by the EBRD and partner governments in 2021, supported by Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany, South Korea, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, the TaiwanICDF, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Since the start of its operations in Jordan in 2012, the EBRD has provided more than €2.2 billion in financing to 74 projects.