30 March 2015 – In collaboration with the University of Jordan, WHO Regional Centre for Environmental Health Action (CEHA) convened a national workshop on 21 March 2015 on the safe use of treated wastewater in agriculture, as a cost-effective adaptation measure against climate change.

Local stakeholders’ knowledge was utilized as part of a participatory and assessment methodology that assesses the risks in sanitation chains in order to prioritize interventions to reduce these risks and to assure a well-functioning sanitation safety plan. Outcomes of the stakeholder analysis and the pilot study for safe use of treated wastewater in agriculture were considered. These have just been completed under the umbrella of the jointly implemented project by the Global Environment Facility, WHO/CEHA and the United Nations Development Programme.

The event was attended by high level managerial staff from different governmental agencies involved in the scoping of sanitation safety plans for reclaimed water reuse in agriculture, including the Ministries of Health, Water and Irrigation, Agriculture, and Environment; University of Jordan, Water Authority of Jordan, Jordan Valley Authority and the Jordan Food and Drug Administration.

Key messages 

• The WHO 2006 guidelines for the safe use of wastewater in agriculture have been extensively updated to take account of new scientific evidence and contemporary approaches to risk management. The revised guidelines reflect a strong focus on disease prevention and public health principles in terms of risk assessment and management.
• Quality and quantity of irrigation water (reclaimed wastewater in this case) is only one input into the agricultural production field. Other inputs and risk factors should be taken into consideration when assessing the impacts on the final crop quality.
• Utilizing treated wastewater in agricultural production is a shared responsibility among all stakeholders in pertinent sectors (water, agriculture, health and the environment).

WHO provides technical support to national capacity-building programmes in Jordan in monitoring and surveillance of agricultural crops produced by utilizing treated wastewater.

The President of the University of Jordan, Professor Dr Ekhleif Tarawneh; the Vice President for Quality Assurance and Scientific Research Professor Dr Mohamed Al Batch; the Director of Water, Environment and Energy Research Centre Professor Dr Sayed Khatari; and CEHA's Director Dr A. Basel Al-Yousfi, all addressed the workshop.