From the 15th to the 16th of January, EcoPeace Jordan hosted representatives from the Global Nature Fund (GNF). The GNF are EcoPeace’s German counterpart in the BMZ and Wilo Foundation funded project to install solar panels at the Tal al Mantah wastewater treatment plant and to create a green filter/constructed wetland at the SHE Park.
The visit started with a meeting at EcoPeace Jordan’s office. During this meeting we discussed the general progress of the project as well as future avenues for cooperation.
Following this meeting, the GNF were given a tour of the Tal al Mantah treatment plant. They were able to see, in person, the many issues facing the plant as well as hear the history of the plant and listen to the operators’ suggestions to improve its functionality. During the tour, several tankers were being emptied into the plant so we invited one of the tanker drivers to speak to the GNF and give his opinion on the status of the plant and how its operation affects his livelihood.
After this EcoPeace and the GNF took part in a stakeholder meeting with the Mayors of
Deir Alla, Pella, their heads of engineering, representatives from Water Authority of Jordan, a representative Jordan Valley Authority and a representative from the local civil society. This meeting was organized to inform these local stakeholders about the project. We discussed the goals of the project, such as how the GNF and the German government would want to make the treatment plant a model for best practice in Jordan, and how the Green Filter can be used as a decentralized and cost-effective complement to traditional wastewater treatment facilities.
At the conclusion of the meeting the stakeholders showed a great interest in the application of Green Filters in the Jordan valley and expressed their unanimous support and cooperation regarding our project. The visit concluded with a second tour of the Tal al Mantah wastewater treatment plant that included the stakeholders where they could understand the difficulties that the operators are trying to overcome while running it.
Contributed by Fadi Kardan, EcoPeace Middle East -Jordan.