October 19th, 2020
A webinar on “Flood Control and Water Management in Nabatean Petra” presented by Professor Nizar Abu Jaber of German Jordanian University was held on Monday October 19th, 2020. The webinar was co-organized between the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in Japan, and the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS).
Over 100 participants, mostly students and faculty members, from Japan, China and Jordan attended the webinar.
Professor Abu Jaber presented an overview of the climate, geology and landscape of Petra, the Nabateans and their footprint on the region as well as their flood and water control systems. This was followed by an overview of the German Jordanian University (GJU)’s projects that aim to develop a better understanding of the hydrology of the area, mimic the flood control technology, and explore how the lessons learnt that could be used in modern context.
The webinar highlighted the interaction and management of the difficult landscape of Petra, which is a testament of the ability of ancient civilizations to cope with water-related challenges as well as flood control and water management.
The webinar ended with the call for further similar future collaborations among various relevant stakeholders working on culture and heritage and the lessons that can be learnt in managing modern challenges resulting from global and climate changes.
About Professor Nizar Abu Jaber:
Professor Nizar Abu Jaber is a Professor at the German Jordanian University and head of the Center for the Study of Natural and Cultural Heritage. Previously, he was a Professor at Yarmouk University (Jordan), he has more than 30 years of experience as a teacher and researcher, with more than 50 reviewed journal articles in geology, hydrology, geo-archaeology and cultural heritage.
About GRIPS:
Founded in 1997, the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) is an international premier policy school with the aim of contributing to the betterment of democratic governance around the world. We excel at providing interdisciplinary education for future leaders in the public sector and conduct research on contemporary policy issues to generate innovative solutions..
For more information: https://www.grips.ac.jp/en/
