A global water stress map places Jordan in its most severe category, projecting that the ratio of human water demand to available supply will exceed 80 percent by 2050. The Ministry of Water and Irrigation says it is already moving on several fronts to address the scenario, from expanding water sources to improving efficiency of use.
اضافة اعلان
The map, based on data from the World Resources Institute (WRI) and obtained by Al-Ghad, classifies countries and regions into five bands: low stress (below 10 percent), low-to-medium (10 to 19 percent), medium-to-high (20 to 39 percent), high (40 to 80 percent), and extremely high (above 80 percent). Jordan falls into the fifth and most severe band, shaded dark brown on the map.
The dark brown designation does not mean Jordan will lose 80 percent of its water by 2050. It means the projected ratio of human demand to available supply will exceed 80 percent, which is the threshold for the highest classification. The map does not provide a specific deficit figure for Jordan within that category.
The map is titled 'Where Will the Highest Water Stress Be by 2050?' and presents a projected scenario rather than a current measurement. Its classification is built on a 'business as usual' scenario, which the map defines as a medium-term future in which global temperatures rise between 2.8 and 4.6 degrees Celsius by 2100.
Jordan shares the dark brown classification with several neighbours. Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Algeria, and a number of Arabian Peninsula countries appear in the same colour, reflecting a broad band of extreme projected water stress across North Africa and the Middle East. Much of Europe and large parts of North and South America appear in lower-stress colours.
Addressing the challenge directly, Omar Salameh, official spokesperson for the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, told Al-Ghad that the ministry is confronting water pressures through a plan 'based on increasing resources, reducing losses, promoting reuse, and improving consumption efficiency,' within the ministry's strategic plan for the water sector covering 2023 to 2040 and Jordan's Economic Modernisation Vision.
The centrepiece of the resource-increase strategy is the National Water Carrier project. Salameh said the project aims to deliver 300 million cubic metres of water annually. Alongside it, the ministry is implementing projects to reduce water losses, rehabilitate and develop networks, and curb illegal connections.
On the technology side, Salameh said the ministry is deploying modern water supply management tools, digital solutions, and smart meters to raise overall management efficiency.
Treated wastewater forms another pillar of the plan. Salameh said the ministry is expanding the construction of wastewater treatment plants to generate additional treated water for use in restricted agriculture. The ministry is also increasing rainwater harvesting capacity by drilling collection wells across governorates in cooperation with other institutions, and by constructing dams and reservoirs.
Non-conventional sources also feature in the strategy. Salameh said the ministry is working to make brackish water suitable for drinking purposes, while simultaneously improving irrigation efficiency, encouraging economically viable crops, expanding renewable energy programmes, and reducing groundwater depletion.
Salameh described the ministry's overall approach as resting on four pillars: increasing water resources, reducing water loss, promoting reuse, and improving consumption efficiency. He said these pillars form part of proactive measures being implemented under the 2023-to-2040 strategic plan and the Economic Modernisation Vision.
This article was originally written in Arabic by Iman Al-Fares for Al Ghad. It was translated into English with AI assistance and edited by Jordan News.
