The project “WISPER–Water-efficient Innovative Solutions Portfolio for Enhancing Resilience” is implemented by ICU, an International Non-Governmental Organization in partnership with the National research Institute of rural engineering, the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) in Jordan and Water and Forests (INRGREF) of Tunisia.
The main objective of the project is to contribute to the promotion of efficient use of water in urban and rural areas in Jordan and Tunisia, in order to adapt and enhance resilience to water related impacts of climate change. The project is to improve technical, institutional and market context that supports the adoption and scaling up of water in agricultural irrigation, in Nabeul governorate in Tunisia and in Balqa, Karak and Mafraq governorates in Jordan.
The WISPER project has opted for a strategy based on two pillars:
- The technical innovation pillar which refers to the identification, test and showcase of innovative solutions for the efficient use of water and use of non-conventional water, in the agricultural sector. The technical innovation pillar focuses on the testing and demonstration of 9 innovative water-efficient solutions at different maturity stages that have the potential to be scaled up.
- The innovation ecosystem pillar which refers to improved institutional and market context to facilitate the local upscale of the innovative solutions of the portfolio. This pillar involves three different types of activities: a) Training and capacity building, b) Campaign and events, c) Business development.