The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, like many of its Middle Eastern neighbors, faces major water shortages. The government of Jordan has been working with USAID for a number of years to address water resource management issues, which include the protection of its groundwater sources. As part of these efforts, USAID funded a Resource Cities partnership between the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM), the General Corporation for Environmental Protection (GCEP), and the city of Des Moines, Iowa. ICMA contracted with the Royal Scientific Society, an independent research and development NGO, to provide technical and logistical support for the implementation of the partnership.
Des Moines assisted GAM and GCEP in improving hazardous waste management practices to ensure that hazardous wastes do not contaminate Jordan’s precious groundwater sources. The Des Moines delegation made its first visit to Jordan in late August 2001, with the objective of learning more about current hazardous waste management practices and plans for the future. The delegation members met with GAM and GCEP staff; officials at the Ministry of Environment, Rural Affairs and Local Government; and the Royal Jordanian Army (RJA). They also visited two landfills serving GAM and northern Jordan and observed the hazardous waste treatment facility at the RJA’s King Hussein Workshops. While in Jordan, the Des Moines delegation developed a Memorandum of Understanding and preliminary action plan with GAM and GCEP.
A delegation from GAM and GCEP visited Des Moines in December 2001 to refine the work plan and learn about solid waste and hazardous waste treatment and disposal practices in the United States.
The partners anticipated that their joint work will result in the introduction of new “best practices” in solid waste collection and treatment to prevent the contamination of groundwater sources and development of a strategy for the safe collection and disposal of liquid and hazardous waste to protect groundwater sources. To reach these goals, the partners implemented a pilot initiative-a recycling program; identifed training needs; and provided targeted training where appropriate.