AMMAN — Jordan is known for its scarce of resources, most notably, its shorage of water. Currently, the
Kingdom is facing a drought due to many factors, primarily a lack of rain and climate change. However, outdated agricultural practices, infrastructure, and transboundary water violations are also among the shortage’s causes.
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One of the factors that affects Jordan’s water resources, according to
EDAMA Chairman Dureid Mahasneh, is that 92 percent of rainfall evaporates due to global warming and an increase in temperatures.
“The water we have is enough for 2 million, but we have 11 million people,” Mahasneh told
Jordan News.
The increase in the population and refugees in Jordan is another reason for the water shortage. According to Mahasneh, the undeveloped agriculture sector in the Kingdom also plays a role in the shortage.
“Fifty percent of our water management system is consumed by the agriculture sector. We prioritize it over drinking water. The benefit is neither economic nor is it helpful for the people,” he said.
Mahasneh also bought attention to transboundary waters, such as the Yarmouk aquifer, which can receive 350 million cubic meters of water, but received “not even 10 percent of that,” he said.
Al-Wehda Dam can hold up to 100 million cubic meters but “barely gets 20 million,” Mahasneh said, attributing the shortfall to “violations” on the Syrian side of the border.
Jordanian farmers plant crops that require a lot of water, like tomatoes and watermelon, which are then exported. “We are practically exporting our water,” said Mahasneh.
Many dams in Jordan are empty and have dried out because of the lack of rain. However, Mahasneh and others agreed that Jordan is not currently facing disaster but is at a critical stage.
On Saturday,
Jordan Valley Farmers’ Union President Adnan Khadam told Al-Mamlaka TV that the main reason Wadi Mujib Dam dried up was “excessive pumping”.
Jordan Valley Authority General-Secretary Manar Mahasneh instead attributed Mujib Dam water shortage to “last year’s modest rainy season”. Khadam noted that the dam, with a capacity of 30 million cubic meters, should be used solely for irrigation, but in reality, it is also being used for drinking and industrial purposes.
Jordan’s need for 400–500 million cubic meters of water has led the government to reduce the water supplies to certain areas, in hopes of mitigating some of the country’s shortages.
“We supply water once a week to some areas, and others get it once every two weeks, including some places in the north,” stated a source from the Ministry of Water, who spoke to
Jordan News, on condition of anonymity.
Infrastructure also plays a role in the water shortage, according to the source, as 46 percent of water consumption is lost due to city infrastructure.
However, the government and its people seem to rely on and hope for the seawater desalination project in Aqaba.
“The project will provide the Kingdom with 300 million cubic meters of water, which we are in the process of trying to accelerate. But it costs around $1.2 billion, and we’re still trying to find national and international financiers,” the source said.
This project is estimated to be ready by 2027.
In addition to the seawater desalination project, the
UN Development Program (UNDP) has been working with the Water Ministry and other local and international organizations to find solutions, according to the Environmental Projects Coordination Specialist Sami Tarabieh at UNDP Jordan.
“We established a drought management unit at the Water Ministry to include a variety of functions including mitigation, response, and an early warning system for drought,” Tarabieh told
Jordan News.
“This is not easy,” he said, explaining that the software requires linking two major components: drought monitoring and seasonal metrological forecasts. This data “takes years to collect,” he stressed.
According to Tarabieh, the Jordanian government, institutions, and people must be prepared for potential drought due to the estimated dates for the adaptive measure.
“When we speak of the adaptive measures, we speak of individuals, institutions, communities, and environmental systems; each has their own measures. When speaking of agriculture, they can use drought-tolerant crops that can bear harsh droughts,” Tarabieh said.
Furthermore, Tarabieh added, irrigation methods have not adapted to dire water shortages, and that watering is haphazard. He recommended that farmers start using technology to their advantage by connecting their smartphones to remote sensors that can detect and alert them of when and how much water is needed.
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