Amman: Minister of Local Administration Walid Masri said the ministry has identified around 50 hotspots across the Kingdom that are prone to flash floods and rising water levels reaching critical thresholds, based on the results of a comprehensive field survey conducted as part of preparations to deal with weather depressions.
According to Jordan News Agency, Masri stated that the ministry has classified several sites as hotspots requiring close monitoring and intensive intervention during weather lows. These include locations like the Tawhid Pond in Russeifa, the town of Al-Iraq in Karak, and areas in the Northern Jordan Valley, Zarqa, Hashemiyah, and Madaba. Operations rooms and field teams are closely following up on these areas.
Masri noted that the recent amounts of rainfall were unexpected and exceeded forecasts, with climate change contributing to aging infrastructure's inability to handle large water flows over short periods. He mentioned that infrastructure in several governorates struggled to manage the rainfall volumes, but field efforts by concerned parties helped limit damage.
He highlighted the government's plan to strengthen the public safety system by establishing an advanced early-warning system for all regions of the Kingdom. This system is expected to become operational soon, improving preparedness and early response to risks.
Masri emphasized the ministry's ongoing efforts to address infrastructure issues in hotspot areas, focusing on technical solutions to predict risks before they occur. He mentioned that repairing and rehabilitating infrastructure nationwide could cost around JD100 million, with JD24 million allocated this year for repair works, of which the government has set aside JD10 million.
He also reported that the central emergency room at the Ministry of Local Administration has dealt with 151 observations, addressing 135 of them, while work continues on 16. Additionally, hundreds of observations are being handled by subsidiary emergency rooms across the Kingdom.