Poor community provided with sustainable infrastructure and income-generating opportunities.

With a population of nearly 5.3 million and only 950 million cubic meters of water available, Jordan suffers a major water scarcity problem that greatly impacts its development. In fact, Jordan is one of the ten most water deprived countries in the world. Rural communities, which are dependent on agriculture and therefore water, suffer even more because of the lack of appropriate water and energy infrastructures. East Shigera, a small village in southern Jordan with a population of 129,000, is one of those many rural communities whose residents live below the poverty line due to unemployment, large family size, and the fact that they are located in an arid region. Although poor, the community has a vibrant, dynamic civil society committed to improving the lives of its people.

A community of 18 homes in East Shigera was chosen by USAID’s Water Efficiency and Public Information for Action (WEPIA) project as the site of a comprehensive effort to rehabilitate the water and energy infrastructure, promote consultative processes for decision-making, and engage in an educational campaign to promote water efficiency. Together with the residents, the WEPIA project assessed community needs and began with rehabilitating the water network and extending it to each household. Then, households were fitted with rooftop water harvesting systems and a cistern for storing the water. Water-saving devices were fixed in the taps and showers. Simple gray water treatment systems were installed and the women were trained on how to operate and maintain these systems. Impermeable septic tanks were installed, thus creating a cleaner environment in the community. Finally, solar power systems were mounted for heating water, including the installation of internal hot water networks.

The East Shigera project was a model for cooperation between the local citizens, the Municipality, an NGO and the central government in an attempt to help a community help itself.

The community’s complete overhaul was instrumental in saving water, reducing electricity costs, and providing added-value to the houses. The use of the treated water for gardening provided the residents with food self-sufficiency as well as opportunities for long-term income generation possible through the sale of surplus agricultural produce. Short-term job opportunities created during the implementation of the project provided residents with extra income. Improvements in the households, and the general community’s landscape provided the residents with a sense of pride and ownership. In fact, the residents were so committed to improving their community that they donated land for building a park. The municipality provided workers to help paint and fence the park, and built pathways. They also provided swings and chairs, while the trees donated by the Ministry of Agriculture were planted by local residents. The Australians are now thinking of using this model for replication in other Jordanian rural areas.