Jordan

Meeting a Need

Jordan is among the world’s most water-scarce countries, and ground water is being used faster than it can be replenished. The Mercer On Mission program in Jordan complements the Jordanian government’s plans to implement a series of engineering-oriented water projects over the next decade to secure additional water resources. Given the complexity of Jordan's water problem, landscape-level water conservation projects are needed to complement the government’s infrastructure solutions. These projects need to be implemented at the community level, where people most of the time lack the finances and advanced knowledge of modern technologies to make substantial changes.

What You'll Do

Students participating in the Mercer On Mission in Jordan program will work with WADI, a local nonprofit nongovernmental organization that focuses on restoring forests and rangelands for climate resilience, community livelihoods and long-term water security. The team will use the target plant concept — a framework for defining, producing and handling seedlings and other plant material — to achieve the program’s goals.

Participating students will work with local communities to cultivate seedlings from indigenous seeds. WADI uses efficient unified irrigation systems that measure exact quantities used for each seedling produced in the nursery. This approach results in a two-thirds reduction of the water typically used in conventional nurseries.

Students will conduct training sessions with local communities that include theoretical and practical sessions on proper nursery management practices and planning for the sowing season, as well as irrigation management, proper land preparation, and monitoring and evaluation of seedlings’ survival rates after being outplanted in their natural habitats. In addition, they will conduct service-research activities related to drinking water sources and ground water supply.

Academic Courses

Students will take two courses, one from each faculty member.

Choose one:

• EGR 291 – Special Topics: Introduction to Project Management and Process Improvement for Land Restoration
• ISE 491/ETM 591 – Special Topics: Project Management and Process Improvement for Land Restoration

Choose one:

• EGR 292 – Special Topics: Introduction to Agricultural Engineering Principles
• ECV 492/ECV 592 – Special Topics: Agricultural Engineering Principles and Processes
• CLA CSL 210 – International Service Learning: Jordan

Faculty

• Dr. Amro Khasawneh – Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering and Industrial Management, School of Engineering
• Dr. Sarah Bauer – Assistant Professor of Environmental and Civil Engineering, School of Engineering