To mitigate water scarcity, the countries of the MENA region have substantially increased their investment and participation in desalination. There is no single model for desalination, nor can one model be applied in all the countries.

In 2012, the Water Authority published a master plan outlining a strategy to ensure water availability until 2050. While total water use is expected to rise from 2,131 MCM in 2010 to 3,571 MCM in 2050

Shifting regional relationships have affected Jordan’s access to these shared resources throughout the country’s history. In several cases, Jordan has received less than its equitable share of the resource, as upstream neighbours overexploit rivers and groundwater sources through damming, diversions and pumping.

The Water Authority of Jordan has developed a policy to allow private initiative in the water sector in the form of private water companies and public-private partnerships.

After the peace treaty in 1994, the implementation of a canal linking the Red Sea and the Dead Sea became the focal point of Israeli-Jordanian cooperation. In February 2015, Jordan and Israel signed an agreement to implement the first phase of the project at a cost of $900 million over a period of three years.

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.

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.

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. […]