Jordan advances Economic Modernisation Vision with World Bank-backed Zarqa River Basin rehabilitation program

Jordan’s Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the World Bank, has launched a national program to rehabilitate the Zarqa River Basin. The initiative targets pollution control, sustainable water management, and ecological restoration, aligning environmental reform with the Kingdom’s broader Economic Modernisation Vision.

Jordan has initiated a comprehensive national program to restore the Zarqa River Basin, marking a coordinated effort between the Ministry of Environment, the World Bank, and domestic stakeholders to address long-standing environmental degradation. The project was introduced under the “Sustainable Environment” pillar of the Economic Modernisation Vision, which integrates ecological priorities into national development planning.

According to official statements, authorities previously conducted field inspections of 349 facilities operating along the river corridor, leading to the development of an implementation framework that assigns regulatory responsibilities and targets key pollution sources. The new initiative seeks to translate those findings into structured interventions.

The action plan is structured around core priorities including scientific identification of contamination sources, targeted remediation in heavily impacted zones, improved water resource governance, and ecological rehabilitation projects. Authorities also intend to link restoration efforts with green employment generation.

The Ministry of Environment, the government body responsible for environmental policy and enforcement in Jordan, is positioning the initiative as a multi-sector collaboration requiring industrial compliance, municipal coordination, and financial backing from development institutions.

For businesses, utilities, and infrastructure operators, the program signals tighter environmental oversight and potential investment opportunities in water treatment, waste management, and environmental services across the Zarqa Basin region.