AMMAN — Stakeholders are
warning that the current heat wave and expected rise in temperatures over the
coming 10 days will exacerbate an already dire water situation for farmers and
food growers.
اضافة اعلان
"With the expectation of a
higher temperature of over 40 degrees for the next 10 days, this is one of the
biggest challenges for all the farmers," said Methqal Zinati, the chairman
of the Trade Union of Independent Farmers and Agriculture Workers in an
interview with
Jordan News.
Zinati asserted that every bit of water counts, and
that cut-off to much-needed irrigation during the hot summer months is
“unacceptable and creates even more stress and harm to already struggling
farmers.”
"I don't think there is any long-term solution to
our problems except for the desalination of sea water," said Zinati.
Zinati started to see the
anticipated aggravation in the country's agricultural breadbasket: The Jordan
Valley.
"Many farmers will not be able to repay their
loans or make it through the season," confirmed Zinati.
Last year, President of the Jordan Valley Farmers Union
Adnan Khaddam, in statements to media, estimated that over 20,000 farmers were
“in debt and wanted by law enforcement agencies.”
The current water deficit in Jordan has been worsened
by a lack of rainfall this past rain season, leaving dams at a minimum level
fit for use. Observers, stakeholders, experts, and relevant international
agencies agree that Jordan remains among the top five water-scarce nations in
the world.
According to statements from the Ministry of Water and
Irrigation Spokesman Omar Salameh, the Kingdom plans to construct a
Red Sea Desalination Plant operating in the southern city of Aqaba, to provide the
drought-hit region with critical drinking water.
The JD1 billion project, which is set to be completed
by 2026, will "provide water of approximately 250-300 million cubic meters
per year," said Salameh, in an interview with
Jordan News.
The project will be a relief for farmers in the long
run, but with the plan nearly 4 years away from completion, the only solution
is to continue relying on the drilling of wells. Although the short fix is
"particularly expensive especially in the light of the decline in the
amount of groundwater," Salameh ensures that the ministry is upholding the
needs of the farmers in this crucial time.
"The ministry has expedited the excavation of a
number of wells in various areas as well as the hiring of private wells to
compensate for shortages and some improvements in the grids to transport water
from higher water-available areas to less water available areas. While increasing
the capacity of some water sources and renting special tanks," added
Salameh.
Earlier this week, Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad
Al-Najjar addressed the issue-at-hand at a Parliamentary Committee on
Agriculture, Water, and Irrigation meeting, explaining that “there is a
decrease in the quantities of water stored in the northern dams, indicating
that in general the dams in the Kingdom are significantly at a lower capacity
this year compared to previous years, which affects the quantities of water
available for drinking and agricultural purposes."
The minister's statements insinuated that the water
insufficiency will be felt by households, factories, and the agricultural
sector. The fallout of this distress will be felt the hardest for rural Jordan
and the farming community, which will have a direct impact on agriculture and
food security.
Dams across the Kingdom held roughly 146 million cubic
meters of water, representing 43.4 percent of their total capacity, by the
close of this year's winter season, as previously reported by Jordan News. The
meager numbers signified an impending strain for the year's harvest season.
The government has called on the public to remain
conscious of their water usage and to only use household water for intended
purposes.
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