To understand the complexity of these challenges, it is interesting to look at the Ain Ghazal wastewater and sewage collection and treatment system that was established by the government in 1960s near Amman.

All surface and groundwater resources in Palestine are shared with Israel and/or other states. Surface water sources are scarce, and include the Jordan River and a number of wadis (stream beds or ravines where water only flows seasonally and temporarily, often as flash floods after thunderstorms).

The West Bank experiences significant climatic variation within a very small area. It lies within the Mediterranean climatic zone, which is characterized by winter rain and summer drought. Only the Lower Jordan Valley has a different transitional climate, between dry steppe and the extreme desert conditions of the Dead Sea region. Rainfall is limited to the winter and spring months, mostly between October and April.

Given the issues discussed above regarding the amount, reliability and quality of surface water sources, the Jordanian population relies mainly on groundwater for its domestic water supply.

about 239 MCM or 28% from surface water (of which 50 MCM comes from Israel under the 1994 peace treaty agreement) and about 433 MCM or 51% from renewable groundwater. The remaining amount comes from non-renewable aquifer (fossil) groundwater (about 75 MCM or 9%) and treated wastewater (about 102 MCM or 12%).

Part of the river’s watershed extends eastward into the West Bank. The river’s water level and quality have been deteriorating since 1955 . . .

Fanack Water speaks to Professor Elias Salameh of the University of Jordan about possible solutions to Jordan’s water crisis Jordan is confronting growing challenges when it comes to water resources management. Can you put the country’s water crisis in context for our readers? Historically, Jordan is a naturally water-scarce country. It lies in a semi-arid […]

The Fanack Water Files is an ambitious project to publish a series of peer-reviewed reports on the state and evolution of water resources in 20 countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The aim is to provide accurate, up-to-date information on various aspects of water use and management in the water-scarce MENA region. […]

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Besides news, interviews and in-depth reports on a range of water-related topics in the MENA region, Fanack Water also produces short documentaries on pressing water issues. From the Red Sea to the Dead Sea is the first in a series of films we plan to produce to shed light on complex and often contentious water problems in the MENA region.