Using street art to spark conversation on water conservation – “Hold Water” initiative

Jordan is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world. Jordan’s aquifers — the primary source of water — are being depleted faster than they can refill. This situation has been exacerbated by the influx of more than 650,000 Syrian refugees and the growing effects of climate change. As a result, the country has one of the lowest water availability levels per capita in the world, causing tension and unrest as the demand outpaces water availability.

The USAID funded Water Innovations Technologies Project (WIT), seeks to improve water management by targeting agriculture, communities, and households in Northern Jordan. WIT promotes water conservation through the following water-saving practices and the adoption of water innovation technologies such as: rainwater retention structures, grey-water treatment systems, efficient irrigation technologies and systems, and water-saving devices.

The WIT program uses social media and other creative methods to promote behavior change to expand its reach. “Hold Water” is a street art initiative that aims to raise public awareness and spark conversation about water scarcity and the benefits of water-saving practices and technologies. Awareness Prevention through Art (AptART), an organization of artists working with youth across the globe, reached out to communities in five governorates to collaboratively identify messages and visuals for large-scale water conservation murals. More than 150 community members helped choose the subject matter for the six murals.

On the event of the annual World Water Day on March 22, 2021, the USAID/ WIT Project celebrated the efforts exerted to conserve this valuable resource in North of Jordan through the “Hold Water” street art water conservation initiative, to remind people about the importance to conserve water and to observe and monitor their water-consumption patterns.

Earlier this year, the country saw home water usage double when communities were in lockdown to slow the spread of COVID‑19. People were washing their hands more and cleaning more often—which only reinforced the importance of educating the public about how and why they should use less water.

March 22 has been marked as “World Water Day” to celebrate water, highlight the importance of water, raise awareness, and inspire people around the world to take actions advocating the sustainable management of water resources. The USAID/WIT Project used that opportunity to celebrate the efforts exerted to conserve water in Jordan and raise public awareness on the importance of water conservation by releasing a video that documents its “Hold Water” street art for the water conservation initiative.

Today, you can’t go to Northern Jordan without noticing the murals. The murals are messages from the community to the community and highlight the significance and necessity of conserving water. For these communities, every drop of water counts. Raising public awareness around water issues is crucial to ensuring this precious resource is available today and for future generations.