Jordan's Water Resources: Technical Perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACT Jordan is suffereing from both water scarcity and maldistribution. The water shortage in Jordan has been exacerbated by the complexity of the hydropolitics in the region, the high rate of population growth, and the forced immigration of hundreds of thousands of Jordanian and Palestinian returnees from the Arabian Gulf countries. Located in a semiarid climatic region, about 91.4 per cent of the country receives an average annual rainfall less than 200 mm. Jordan's total rainfall volume is estimated to be about 7200 MCM (million cubic meters) of precipitation. More than 85 per cent of the rainfall goes for evaporation. The conventional water supply in Jordan has been estimated to be 880 MCM per year This includes the safe yield of all available groundwater and surface water resources. Water demand was about 767 MCM for 1991, and is expected to grow to 1,000 MCM by 1995. Irrigation water forms 73 per cent of the total water demand, whereas municipal and industrial demands form 22 and 5 per cent, respectively. Within the next jive years, Jordan will not be able to meet its increasing demands, even if it uses all conventional and nonconventional local water resources. From a technical point of view, a few solutions are proposed to meet the future challenges of increased demands and limited supplies: increasing the local water supply; efficient use of the available supply; intrastate water transfer and regional cooperation; and restriction on water use. Most of these solutions are expensive and may have socioeconomic consequences in the area. However; once fair and comprehensive peace is achieved, regional cooperation and integration in the area is a very promising solution. It may be hoped that water will be a catalyst of cooperation rather than a substance of conflict.