Water Loss Reduction King Abdullah Canal

Jordan’s increasing water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change and population growth, poses a critical challenge to sustainable urban development, particularly in Amman and Irbid. The Northern section of the King Abdullah Canal (KAC) suffers from significant water losses, reducing the volume of drinking water available for these cities and heightening dependence on costly, energy-intensive alternatives such as desalination and deep aquifer wellfields.

The project, implemented in a Joint Venture with Al-Mustashar lil Handasah CO, Engicon (Jordan); and Société du Canal de Provence et d'Aménagement de la Région Provençale (SCP) (France) aims to reduce water losses in the Northern KAC and increase the supply of drinking water to Amman and Irbid. By rehabilitating 65 km of the canal with concrete slabs and waterproof HDPE lining, and by providing essential operational and maintenance equipment, the project envisions to achieve a 10-percentage point reduction in water losses (from 25% to 15% by 2033) and raise the annual water supply by at least 10 million cubic metres (from 83 to over 93 MCM). Additionally, the project aims to ensure that water supplied from the KAC results in at least 40% lower greenhouse gas emissions per cubic metre compared to water supplied via the National Conveyor Project.

All construction will adhere to strict environmental, social, and occupational safety standards, with full operational functionality and equipment acceptance confirmed one year after commissioning. By protecting scarce water resources and reducing reliance on alternative sources, the Project will contribute substantially to climate change adaptation and enhance water security for Amman and Irbid.