Three projects of a total amount of US$ 265,000 designed to tackle range of environmental problems at a regional level, were officially launched today at a signing ceremony with the United Nations Development Programme, financed by the Perez-Guerrero Trust Fund.
Through a distributed modeling of pipe networks, the project of the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) will impact and possibly be used in many resource distribution systems across the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Republic of Turkey, and United Arab Emirates, especially water distribution networks of the Water Authority of Jordan, the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries in UAE and the General Directorate of Hydraulics Works in Turkey.
The second project of JUST "Improving Awassi Sheep Productivity by using Frozen Semen in Jordan Egypt and the Palestinian Authority" will establish a system for freezing ram semen from genetically superior rams and use this technology to improve the productive potential of Awassi sheep in the region. It is anticipated that this will have a positive impact on the sheep farmers income.
The third project of Al al Bayt University "Watershed Management in the Northern Badia Region (Sirhan Basin/Jordan)" as an example for Desertic Regions, is rendered to develop the water resources of the northern Badia and to optimize the use of floodwater in artificial recharge purposes and irrigation. The management of such floods will not only conserve the soil cover of the area but will also increase the biodiversity of the study area. Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria are the major beneficiaries of the project.
The Perez-Guerrero Trust Fund was established by the United Nations in 1983 for the purpose of supporting activities in economic and technical cooperation among developing countries. The Fund is administered by UNDP. The Fund supports projects that have a maximum multiplier effect, preferably at a regional level, and involve an economic or technical cooperation activity between three or more developing countries.
The Trust Fund was named after the late Venezuelan official Manuel Perez-Guerrero (1911-1985) who held numerous high-level positions in the United Nations system and held four different ministerial posts in his country. He served as Secretary-General of UNCTAD in the late 1960s and early 1970s.