Amman: The Ministry of Local Administration on Thursday said it instructed municipalities to identify flood hotspots and redesign and upgrade infrastructure to accommodate weather instability and climate change across the Kingdom, following the recent heavy rainfall, which resulted in floods and landslides.
According to Jordan News Agency, Director of the Municipal Councils Directorate at the Ministry, Bakr Rahamneh, stated that the Ministry has requested municipalities to allocate funds for infrastructure projects. The Ministry will provide technical support where needed and contribute financially to the completion of priority projects.
Rahamneh emphasized that the existing infrastructure in some municipalities is no longer capable of coping with the effects of climate change, particularly sudden and intense rainfall. He stressed the necessity for comprehensive engineering studies to address the aging infrastructure.
He detailed that the unstable weather, particularly in the Jordan Valley (northern, central, and southern regions), Wadi Shuaib, and al-Hashimiyah in Zarqa, caused landslides and rockfalls that disrupted traffic on several main roads, including Wadi Shuaib Street, the Dead Sea-Aqaba Road, and the Shafa Badran-Bireen-Zarqa Road. These issues were addressed promptly.
Rahamneh also noted that the Abu Zighan area in the al-Hashimiyah municipality experienced similar flooding in 2021 and 2023, highlighting the need to review the existing infrastructure. He pointed out that the proximity of buildings to wadi beds and the issuance of building permits without adequate buffer zones contributed to the damage.