Water efficiency and public information for action (WEPIA) program, 2000 - 2005 : final report

WEPIA is a strategic social marketing program that focused on immediate and long-term water issues in Jordan. The management of scarce water resources is among the most significant challenges faced by the Jordanian government. Already one of the most water-poor countries in the world, Jordan is grappling with rapid population growth, an aging water infrastructure, and a lack of public awareness regarding the severity of the problem and corrective measures that have to be taken to ameliorate it. Because there are few opportunities to develop new supplies of fresh water, most experts agree that the key to a sustainable future lays in managing demand.
To address the growing demand for water, the Government of Jordan and the USAID agreed upon a course of action to effect concrete changes in water consumption. Over the life of the program, WEPIA worked cooperatively with the Government of Jordan to build popular commitment to conserve water, promote the use of water saving technologies, and institutionalize strategic communication methods. Three principle themes shaped WEPIA throughout the programme : 1) long term strategies can ensure that water conservation and water efficiency measures continue into the future; 2) sustainability is the dynamic expression of growth and change, not a static target that can be achieved; 3) building capacity of local supervisory partners will help strengthen relationships and alleviate challenges and constraints.
The overall goals and results of the program include : NGO capacity building; community grants; water audits and building retrofits; media campaigns; and training workshops.