Khaberni - The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is among the nations most exposed to water stress globally, known for its water scarcity. Here, natural and human factors converge to pose a direct threat to food security, agricultural development, and the sustainability of water resources, including reduced rainfall rates, climate change, population growth, and the reception of refugees from neighboring countries.
According to a report published by UNICEF, the per capita renewable water resources in Jordan are less than 100 cubic meters per year, where the level of 500 cubic meters per capita per year is the threshold of "absolute water scarcity." Estimates indicate that water scarcity levels may rise annually between 1% and 1.5% until 2100, exposing more than 85% of low-income households across all regions of the kingdom to the risk of water scarcity. Another report by the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) mentioned that the per capita share in Jordan could drop to about 61 cubic meters per year in some estimates.
In 2022, the amount of water used in Jordan was about 1,123 million cubic meters, of which 58% was from groundwater, 26% from surface water, and 16% from treated wastewater. In the same year, a decrease in dam reservoirs was recorded, as their filling levels did not exceed 32% of their capacity, and it is estimated that the agricultural sector consumes about 51% of the total water use in the kingdom. According to official reports in 2024, the amount of reclaimed and properly treated water used by farmers was about 197 million and 504 thousand cubic meters, and it was utilized in agricultural projects in various areas across the kingdom over an area of 26,676 dunums.
The lack of rainfall directly affects rain-fed agriculture such as olives, grapes, and winter crops, which many Jordanian farmers rely on without supplemental irrigation. With decreased or delayed rainfall, the planting timing for many of these crops is delayed, and/or there is an indication of a decrease in the areas intended to be planted, leading to reduced productivity, increased costs, and consequently increased reliance on imports. Furthermore, water scarcity leads to increased stress on groundwater and surface waters.
Regarding food security and the community, when local production declines, it leads to increased dependence on imports to cover food needs, exposing Jordan to challenges of price fluctuations, supply chains, and being affected by any external fluctuations that may occur, with rural communities and farmers being the most affected as they face difficulties in securing irrigation and drinking water, which may lead to shifts in livelihoods and migration to cities. On the other hand, drought phenomena increase land and pasture degradation and lead to a decline in vegetation cover, weakening the ecosystem in the long term.
As for groundwater and the environment, with the continued decrease in rainfall, God forbid, this reduces the replenishment of groundwater, leading to a drop in its level and withdrawal exceeding renewal capacities, exposing the water to salinization and a decline in water quality, making most water resources no longer sufficiently renewable, according to the report:
Long-term groundwater monitoring in the country's main aquifers suggests that water levels are falling, with annual declines of more than ten meters in some aquifers." UNICEF
Here, it is clearly necessary to take proactive measures, among the most important of which is adopting effective national plans to combat drought, including accurate estimates of future rainfall, the impact of climate change, and population growth, and emphasizing monitoring of agricultural and industrial use.
It is also necessary to enhance monitoring systems for groundwater and surface water levels, and promote water conservation policies that reflect its actual scarcity, along with regulating the use of groundwater and combating illegal pumping and unlicensed wells.
In the agricultural sector, it is important to focus on awareness and agricultural guidance to choose crops that consume less water or are drought resistant, expand the use of drip irrigation networks, and avoid rain-fed agriculture in areas where supplemental irrigation cannot be used as much as possible. The situation also requires support for applied scientific research in the fields of water management and smart agriculture, and an increase in establishing scientifically and technically sound water harvesting projects in suitable areas, ensuring farmers follow weather bulletins issued by the official meteorological department. Among the promising solutions in this sector, expanding agriculture in plastic and glass greenhouses and hydroponic and aquaponic farming, as they provide high efficiency in water use and increase productivity, this requires supporting awareness and guidance programs and using various social media platforms to raise community awareness and empower farmers, especially rural women, and integrating farmers with government and private entities and civil society institutions.
In summary
Within climate changes, drought and lack of rainfall are strategic challenges affecting agriculture, food security, development, and natural resources. It can be overcome or minimized with wise water management plans, supporting local agricultural innovation, integrating smart agriculture and agricultural guidance, and agricultural entrepreneurship is the true key to adapting to the reality of water scarcity and achieving sustainable production and added value to the national economy.
"May Allah grant us rain and do not make us among the despairing"
#Supporting the Jordanian farmer is a national duty that surpasses all other duties as it is the main arm of food security#
References
• UNICEF Jordan, The costs of water stress in Jordan. UNICEF+1
• FAO, Jordan at a glance (Water scarcity in Jordan). FAOHome
• Approaches to Adapting Water Management in Jordan (University of Texas). wrp.beg.utexas.edu
• Review of Agricultural-Related Water Security in Water-Scarce Regions (MDPI). MDPI
• Space4Water, Escalating water scarcity and groundwater overextraction in Jordan.
• https://www.petra.gov.jo/Include/InnerPage.jsp?ID=327501&lang=ar&name=news
