© Global Nature Fund
Appreciation goes to wastewater treatment plant project that uses sustainable technology to improve wastewater treatment in the Jordan Valley
130,000 people in the water-scarce region benefit from improved water quality
Energy Globe Award is considered the world’s most prestigious award for environmental projects
Berlin, 10.11.2022: The Global Nature Fund (GNF) and EcoPeace Jordan have received the Energy Globe Award 2022 for Jordan for a wastewater treatment plant project in the Jordan Valley. Together with its local partner, EcoPeace Middle East, GNF equipped the existing Tal-Al-Mantah wastewater treatment plant in the Jordan Valley with a photovoltaic system and built a constructed wetland in the Jordan EcoPark.
“The project makes an important contribution to reducing water scarcity in this conflict-prone region and we are delighted that this important commitment has been recognized with this prestigious award,” says Udo Gattenlöhner, GNF Managing Director.
Around 500,000 people live on the Jordanian side of the Jordan Valley, 130,000 of whom live in the catchment area of the Tal-Al-Mantah sewage treatment plant. In the region, domestic wastewater is generally collected in septic tanks and then transported to the treatment plant by tanker. In the past, however, frequent power failures led to major fluctuations in the treatment plant’s purification performance. As a result, sewage pits could not be emptied in time and overflowed. Together with illegally disposed industrial wastewater, this led to severe contamination of groundwater and surface water with considerable health risks for humans and nature. Thanks to the construction of the photovoltaic system, the sewage treatment plant can now cover 90 percent of its electricity requirements itself. This means that it is virtually independent of the expensive and fluctuating national electricity grid and can fully utilize its capacities. The Tal-Al-Mantah wastewater treatment plant is the first plant in this sunny region to be powered by solar energy, making it a beacon for the local population and for decision-makers in local and regional water authorities.
Constructed wetland as innovative inspiration
The award-winning constructed wetland was built in the Jordan EcoPark, also located in the Jordan Valley, and treats the wastewater from the visitor center there. At the same time, it offers the opportunity to raise awareness of wastewater issues among the many visitors to the park and to introduce them to this cost-effective solution for wastewater treatment, which is particularly suitable for decentralized, efficient treatment of domestic wastewater.
The project was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is supported by Kärcher and the Wilo-Foundation.
According to an American survey, the Energy Globe Award is the world’s most prestigious environmental prize and was launched in Austria in 1999 with the aim of publicizing innovative and sustainable projects from all over the world.
The award ceremony took place on November 6, 2022 at the Austrian Embassy in Amman. Our partners from EcoPeace Middle East accepted the award in the presence of the Austrian Ambassador Dr. Oskar Wüstinger, theUNIDO Country Representative Sulada Mdanat and the Secretaries General of the Jordanian Ministries of Energy and Water.
Contact us
Global Nature Fund (GNF)
Udo Gattenlöhner
Managing Director
Phone: +49 7732 9995 80
E-mail: gattenloehner@globalnature.org