All indicators indicate that Jordanians will suffer this summer from the difficulty of obtaining their shares of scarce water, whose percentage has declined over the past few years to less than one hundred cubic meters per capita per year, and is considered among the lowest rates in the world, i.e. 90% less than the global water poverty line of 1,000 cubic meters of water per capita per year.

The water situation seems critical this summer, especially since the rainy season recorded only 60 percent of the annual average, while the dams’ water storage is less than last year by about 80 million cubic meters, especially in dams used for drinking, such as the Al-Wahda Dam and the Al-Wahda Dam. The positive. This comes at a time when the demand for water is greater than what is available in Jordan by about 500 million cubic meters annually, which explains the water deficit experienced by the population.

Jordan is one of the world’s most water-poor countries, as there is limited flowing water and a lack of groundwater, in addition to the abnormal increase in the population, especially with the Syrian refugee, which increases the water deficit, while water losses reach up to About 45 percent are due to damaged water networks as well as water theft. It is worth mentioning here what the Jordanian Minister of Water and Irrigation, Engineer Muhammad Al-Najjar, said at the beginning of last May, when he raised the issue of water theft and referred to previous statements about the theft of eight million cubic meters of water by five people in previous years. In recent days, the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission in Jordan revealed suspicions of corruption and substandard financial deals in the water sector, in which ministers and senior officials in the Ministry of Water were implicated, which raised question marks, but the answers indicated the absence of oversight and accountability for many years. As is well known, corruption in the water and sanitation services sector reduces the quality and availability of water and the services provided in this framework.

An official report revealed Jordan’s fears of an exacerbation of the water shortage problem, especially with the increasing population and the high demand for economic development, while the Israeli occupation is behind the crisis due to its control over the waterways of the Jordan and Yarmouk rivers. As for the Jordanian side, it gets limited quantities, while it pays for the additional needs if the occupation agrees to spend them. Under the peace agreement between the two countries, the Israeli authorities provide Jordan with quantities of 55 million cubic meters annually of the waters of the Sea of ​​Galilee, in return for one cent per cubic meter. In 2010, the two countries agreed to add 10 million cubic meters in exchange for 40 cents per meter, which is also the prescribed price for additional supplies approved by the Israeli authorities.

Groundwater is the main source of drinking water and other uses in Jordan, with up to 56 percent of all uses, while surface water is the main source of irrigation in the Jordan Valley region and is used for alternative purposes by 31 percent, while the rest is covered through Non-conventional water sources, such as treated water and desalinated water, while groundwater sources suffer from depletion.

The Dean of Scientific Research and Professor of Water Engineering at the University of Jordan, Dr. Radwan Al-Washah, a senior advisor and an international expert in water engineering, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that “the main causes of the problem are limited water resources and climate change, which is affecting the amount of rain. The studies as a whole indicate that Jordan will be exposed to a rain shortage of between 16 and 30 percent during the next fifty years, which requires caution, pointing out that “climate change reduces precipitation, but it causes floods in some cases and droughts.” severe at other times.” Al-Washah adds, “One of the causes of the crisis is also the population pressure on water resources. In the mid-nineties of the last century, planning in Jordan expected that the population at the present time would be about six million people, but it is approaching 11 million people, due to the surrounding geopolitical conditions, including the Syrian and Iraqi refugees. Before that, there were waves of forced asylum because of the political developments in the region.”

Al-Washah indicates that “the government recently resorted to over-pumping from underground wells, through about 12 aquifers, with about 3,000 wells connected to those basins, knowing that each well drains more than 50 percent of its original capacity. This has its negative effects, most notably the deterioration in water quality as a result of salinization, in addition to the drop in the water level, which requires larger pumps and a higher cost.” Al-Washah believes that “there is a need for multifaceted and integrated solutions, the most prominent of which is the search for new water resources and not the depletion of the currently available materials,” noting that “the best option is desalination.” Regarding the quantities of water obtained by the population, he says that “the absolute water poverty globally is 500 cubic meters, while the per capita share in Jordan ranges between 80 and 100 cubic meters per year,” noting that “Jordan does not have many solutions except in resource management and asylum.” technology for water desalination.

Al-Washah continues, “Jordan was working on transporting Bahrain from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, and this is a project linked to the peace process, the Israeli occupation entity and the Palestinian side, and it has political dimensions. It is a project that can be said that it failed, and today we find the national carrier project (the Aqaba-Amman Desalination and Water Transfer Project), which consists of a seawater transportation system, a seawater desalination facility in Aqaba, and a fresh water transportation system to the rest of the regions, knowing that it is mixed with well water from the Wadi field. Rum to provide fresh water for drinking purposes according to the best specifications. This comes in two phases. The capacity of the first phase is 130 million cubic meters annually, while the total of the second phase reaches 350 million cubic meters.” Al-Washah asserts that “this project is large and requires large financial resources amounting to about two billion dollars, and the best way is through its establishment through the purchase and operation system.”

Al-Washah continues, “One of the solutions is also to use modern technologies in agriculture, which consume 50 percent of Jordan’s water resources,” noting that “the water used in agriculture currently is not intended for domestic use. We need to move towards crops that do not need a lot of water, such as palms or roses and others.” Al-Washah stresses, “The importance of the correct management of water resources, as the real consumption of the Jordanian citizen does not reach 50 liters, while the other quantities are calculated on consumption, but they go with the waste. This is the minimum approved by the World Health Organization to avoid diseases, and there is no possible flexibility for the citizen to rationalize, except for people who own ponds or home farms.”

Concerning distribution management, Al-Washah refers to two types of waste, the administrative loss, which amounts to 20 percent of the total consumption of Jordanians with attacks on networks and water theft, while the technical loss, which is leakage from networks, is estimated at 25 percent, explaining that “Jordan loses about One million US dollars due to water loss.

On the issue of shared water with neighboring countries and the purchase of water from the occupying state, Al-Washa affirms that “by this you put your destiny in the hands of others, and it is a matter related to policies and political conditions, and it cannot be relied upon as a stable source even though the Wadi Araba agreement stipulated Jordan’s share of this water, Jordan can also buy water according to the agreement. But what affects its continuation is the political decision.”

For his part, the head of the Jordanian Society for Water Conservation, Ahmed Al-Rousan, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that “the rainfall rate for the current year was weak, but this does not mean that there is a great challenge facing us,” pointing to “a defect in the management of water demand.” Every year the government talks about a water crisis, but this year the crisis is realistic and real, and there are villages in Irbid Governorate (north) that have not received water for weeks, while a problem is recorded in the south as well and in some neighborhoods of the capital, Amman.” Al-Rousan adds that “when the minister comes out and declares that influential people steal large amounts of water and water losses reach 48 percent, the question to be asked is: Why does this happen in a water-poor country? It is related to water management. Every year, one or two water ministers are appointed due to the change and amendment of governments, and each one has his own vision.”

Al-Rousan stresses that “talking about limited water resources should stop. The minister knows before he takes over his ministry that the resources are limited. The question arises about what has been accomplished during the past years and what he will accomplish in the coming years, especially since each minister passes the problem to the next minister.” For him, “water security is more important compared to food security or anything else,” explaining that “there are water challenges and there is an increase in the population, and this affects the per capita share of water.” Al-Rousan calls for the implementation of the law and hints that “there are ministers who are trying to pursue the water thieves, but they are clashing with forces greater than themselves. Therefore, the minister, who cannot work properly, must resign.”

Al-Rousan believes that “the solution to the water problem fundamentally depends on desalination as well as on the national carrier. The Bahrain carrier is a political issue that has not been successful due to the position of the Israeli occupation state,” wondering, “Is our foreign policy useless? Is the reason failed management? Are we unable to face any external adversary of ours?” Regarding obtaining additional quantities of water from the Israeli authorities, Al-Rousan says, “We are paying more than we should in the issue of water and the relationship with Israel. It is true that we obtained some rights from the issue of water storage, but there are shared basins and we need a very clear water policy in which all concerned parties from the government and other sectors participate.”

Regarding the Bahrain transporter, Al-Rousan says, “The strongest is the one who imposes the solution. This project will solve a large part of Jordan’s water problem, and the government should seek the assistance of the Americans and Europeans, especially since the Dead Sea is threatened, and preserving it is a national duty and is receiving global attention.” Al-Rousan continues, “We, as an association, have worked on a number of projects in schools and mosques that consume large amounts of water by nature. Their number has reached 18 projects in various regions of Jordan, including water reuse and water harvesting projects. Al-Rousan points out that “the association faced difficult circumstances during the last period due to the Corona crisis, but it continued to work. And if a voluntary association is able to work, what about a government that has a budget and human cadres? Why does it falter every year, despite the fact that the water of the Disah basin is delivered to Amman? Why is water stolen, and there are devices and equipment capable of detecting this and determining the exact location?”

In the same context, the Assistant Secretary-General of the Jordanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation and the official spokesman for the ministry, Omar Salama, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that “Jordan seeks to meet the challenge of water scarcity by developing its non-traditional sources, such as reusing treated wastewater in irrigation. Agriculture and industry, among the highest specifications. It has become an important part of its water budget as a permanent source to make up for part of the shortfall.” Salameh adds that “citizens will not suffer from a water crisis in the summer, as the ministry is committed to providing them with water according to the weekly cycle system that is currently in force throughout the country.”

Salama continues, “The ministry is working on strategic solutions, including the national carrier for seawater desalination and transporting Red Sea water after desalination in order to provide water suitable for citizens’ use,” stressing, “We are trying to find quick solutions by searching for new water sources by drilling underground wells to contribute By providing citizens with water, and focusing on implementing projects to reduce water losses.” Salameh explains that “the ministry has various sources in an attempt to compensate for the water shortage, through the Disi water project, the King Abdullah Canal and wells in some areas, in addition to purchasing them from the Israeli authorities along with Jordan’s share of water in accordance with the peace treaty.” Salama indicated that “the ministry will work with the concerned authorities to limit attacks on water networks, and will intensify campaigns against water resources.”

The New Arab