WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal Meets With Jordanian Prince El-Hassan

TUCSON, Ariz. (Nov. 1, 2013) – Sharon B. Megdal, Director of the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC), met with His Royal Highness Prince El-Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan earlier this week as a representative of the UA International Arid Lands Consortium (IALC) and the University of Arizona.

“It was an honor to meet with His Royal Highness Prince El-Hassan,” Dr. Megdal said. “Our meeting was broad in range and focused on a number of big-picture water issues, particularly the importance of considering the human and physical environments in water planning and management.”

Among his many achievements in education and social arenas, Prince El-Hassan founded the Jordanian Royal Scientific Society in 1970 and the Jordanian Higher Council on Science and Technology in 1987. He also chairs the United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation.

“Prince El-Hassan has been a transformative figure in the world of science, particularly in Jordan,” said Charles F. Hutchinson, UA Professor Emeritus and IALC President.

The meeting between Prince El-Hassan and Dr. Megdal acknowledges the long tradition of scientific cooperation between the IALC – which is housed in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Arizona – and Jordan in the areas of water and water management. For more than 20 years, the IALC has focused on international research projects and educational programs aimed at helping people living in arid and semi-arid regions of the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and South Asia.

“This meeting also underscores a renewed commitment by both sides to continue and strengthen this vital relationship at the very highest levels, both scientifically and politically,” Hutchinson said. “We are grateful for Prince Hassan’s commitment and hospitality, and for Dr. Megdal’s tireless efforts to further this cooperation.”

Learn more about the IALC.

The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC), a unit within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, promotes understanding of critical state and regional water management and policy issues through research, education and outreach. For more information, visit us at wrrc.arizona.edu.

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