Environment Minister Taher Shakhshir and US Ambassador to Jordan Alice Wells have met in the past to discuss what has been done via USAID to support Jordan's environmentalism, as well as bring to attention the environmental stresses that have increased in recent years due to many factors, including increased refugee population, specifically from Syria.[27] Wells was cited as saying that “Jordan is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world," maintaining that it is important for Jordan to focus on water policy and efficiency because it is such a water-poor area.[2]