EMPOWERS & MEDWA: Joint Learning Event

EMPOWERS Partnership and MEDWA (project of Participatory Sustainable Water Management at the Farm Level project), both MEDA Water projects, held a joint learning event on "Methods of Activating Stakeholder Participation" on April 9th, 2006 at the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD).

The meeting was an opportunity for the core teams of the two projects in Jordan to present their work and exchange experiences drawn from the field activities. Participation in this event also included key stakeholders representing Ministries of Water and Irrigation, Social Development, Health, Environment, and Interior/Balqa Governorate. There were also participants from Jordan Cooperative Society, local CBOs, and EMPOWERS core team in Palestine and the Regional Information Programme.

Eng. Fidaa Haddad, field coordinator of EMPOWERS in Jordan, presented the methodologies EMPOWERS have developed over the past two years in Participatory Water Planning through Stakeholder Dialogue and Concerted Action, (for more details please see EMPOWERS working papers 1, 3 and 6). Dr. Mohammed Nababteh from the Ministry of Health – Balqa Directorate gave an overview of EMPOWERS impact on its governmental stakeholders while Mr. Wa'el Kherfan from the Ministry of Social Development – Balqa Directorate explained the project's impact on the local pilot communities and CBOs.

Eng. Mohammad Omar Al-Nuaimy, MEDWA field coordinator in Jordan, presented MEDWA's methodology for improving participatory and sustainable water management at farm level, and the progress achieved in this regard.

The presentations were followed by a discussion involving all participants who made recommendations (below) to further enhance coordination and exchange of experiences among water management projects especially those within the EU 'MEDA Water Programme' framework.