By H.E. Mr. Ahmad Jalal Said Al Mufleh, Ambassador for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Pictures by Kim Vermaat for Diplomat Magazine.
Water is the heart of life and enters directly and actively in all life activities. Jordan’s renewable sources cannot keep up with the growing demand. This deficit is translated by the marked increase in the country’s imports of food items compared with its exports.
The annual average of fresh water available as renewable resources within the safe limits is about 750 million cubic meters annually, including 275 million cubic meters from renewable ground water resources and the rest from surface sources. In addition to this, treated waste water is used, as well as quantities taken from non-renewable ground water to cover the deficit in various needs. This has a negative impact on ground water reservoirs. About 51% of this water is used in agriculture, 44% for house use and 5% for industry.
Jordan’s needs of water in 2014 are estimated at about 1200 million cubic meters, of which only 850 million cubic meters are available, a deficit of 30%.
This deficit is subject to increase due to population growth and increased economic activity on one hand and on the other further burdened with the massive influx of 1.4 million Syrian refugees into Jordan over the past 3 years, with less than 10% in camps and the rest absorbed into our communities .
The share of Jordanian individuals from renewable water in 2014 was less than 130 cubic meters for various uses. This is a small portion of what individuals need for domestic and industrial use, and water for food production. Individuals need 1000 cubic meters annually, which means it is a high priority to take advantage of all water resources available, including reusing treated waste water. A water strategy was drafted to cover water needs up to 2022, and was approved by the government.
This strategy outlined long term goals to develop and manage water resources, put forth recommendations on its allocation, legislations and institutional organization based on sound assessments.
The government has made much effort to provide Jordanian citizens with water, as well as provide sanitation services through waste water networks.
The percentage of house water service increased to 95% and sanitation services increased by 65%%. Moreover, 31 waste water treatment plants were built producing 137 million cubic meters annually of treated water used for irrigation purposes. In view of the progress in supply systems in the Kingdom and weak management of collection and maintenance, work must be done to overcome these drawbacks.
A high percentage of Jordan’s population lives in urban areas, and urban environmental problems form a number of elements of water resource management, such as: Establishing wastewater treatment plants based on advanced technologies, implementing programs for rain water, water seepage and sanitation programs in urban areas. In addition to promoting the treatment and reuse of waste water and solid waste, and control of industrial sources of pollution to protect water resources.
As for the goals, work is underway to reach an average supply for each person with around 112 liters of safe water per day to fulfill the needs of the population and maintain health, as well as supplying 75% of the population with sanitation and ensuring that 75% of the solid waste produced in urban areas is collected, treated and disposed of in an environmentally safe way.
The Ministry of Water and Irrigation is mandated with the water sector, and its role focuses on drafting water policy, decision making, central administration of data and information, monitoring, and national water planning for the water sector.
Under its umbrella there are two arms:
The Water Authority of Jordan that is mandated with domestic water affairs, including the development of water resources and supplying citizens with it, as well as the execution, maintenance and operation of supply systems, providing sanitation services, and waste water treatment and reuse.
The Jordan Valley Authority that is mandated with the development of the Jordan Valley area. This geographic area’s primary activity is agriculture, and most of the activities of this authority are connected to irrigation water.
There are many government and private institutions that play a role in the water sector such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Metrology Department, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Finance, and other specialized research and study centers, such as universities, NGOs mandated with environmental protection, and the Royal Scientific Society.
The effective provision of water resource assessment technologies appropriate for Jordan’s needs, including means of assessing the climate impact on fresh water, and taking the necessary institutional measures to verify good collection, analysis, storage, and extraction, and the distribution of this information among those who need it, in terms of the quantity and quality of water resources available in water fall areas and in ground water storage, will certainly lead to sustainable development and a water environment that will maintain public health.
In the area of water resources and its quality, and the water ecosystem, the government is intensifying efforts to prevent further deterioration in water quality and the ability to control high consumption rates as a result of population increases and industrial activity, in order to preserve water resources which should ensure public health.
Diplomat Magazine Note: The International Water Association based in The Hague, hosted in Jordan last October the Water Security for Sustainable Growth, a very successful international congress with over 1000 delegates from more than 70 countries worldwide.
Participants were international experts, government delegations, world-leading institutions, companies and organisations involved in the development of clean, safe drinking water and sanitation services.
