AMMAN – On Tuesday, the
Minister of Water and Irrigation,
Raed Abu Saud said that climate change has caused fluctuations in rainfall as
the rainfall pattern has changed, increasing water problems and affecting water
basins in the Kingdom, Al-Mamlaka TV reported.
اضافة اعلان
In a press conference with the
Minister of Government Communication, Muhannad Al Mubaidin, Abu Saud pointed out that Jordan does not
have the luxury of using water, as the water deficit is significant. Jordan is
considered the poorest country in the world in terms of water, and Jordan’s
water sources are very limited.
Abu Saud added that Jordan extracts about 620 million cubic
meters of water annually from water basins, while its supply is estimated at
280 million. 80 percent of the water was lost due to theft and 20 percent due
to water pipelines. He added that there is a large amount of
attacks on water networks, and there are 90,000 cases of attacks on main water lines.
Moreover, he indicated that 510 million cubic meters of
water are pumped to municipalities, 570 million cubic meters for agriculture,
and 35 million cubic meters for industry. He also stated that an individual
consumes about 61 cubic meters per year. The
irrigated agriculture consumes about 65 percent of the clean water in Jordan, which is originally for
drinking.
The minister mentioned that Jordan needs 400 million cubic
meters of water to reach the global water poverty line.
“In Jordan, 11.5 million people use water very heavily, and
what exacerbates the problem is that refugees have come from areas with
abundant water,” Abu Saud added. He called on refugees to economize water use,
pointing out that they have increased water demand in the Kingdom by 35
percent.
He pointed out that this year the
Water Authority’s
financial deficit amounted to about JD 330 million.
During the meeting, many proposed solutions for water
scarcity, the National Water Carrier Project, attacks on water sources, water
loss and theft, and the National Water Strategy 2023–2040.
The ministry is currently working to increase the pumping
quantities from the Disi aquifer from 100 to 115 million per year. Abu Saud
mentions that there are 16 dams in the Kingdom and 136
water projects worth
more than 100 million dinars.
The ministry added that its staff has closed 1,481 illegal
wells in the past year.
The minister said that the
National Water Carrier Project is
expected to provide about 300 million cubic meters of water annually.
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