AMMAN — As the climate heats up, affecting
Jordan’s already exhausted water resources, expanding wastewater treatment
provides one opportunity to increase water availability for irrigation that
consumes about one half of the country’s total water supply, the
UN said in a
press statement on Monday.
اضافة اعلان
Jordan is the second-most water scarce country in the world,
with its annual renewable water resources less than 100 cubic meters per
person, significantly below the global threshold of severe water scarcity of
500 cubic meters per person.
Climate change, among other challenges is projected to
stress Jordan’s limited water resources, negatively impacting
the county’s agriculture, with rural poor women and
girls the most likely to bear the brunt of these impacts.
In a policy brief titled “Decentralized Wastewater
Treatment Systems (DWATS) as a Climate Change Adaptation Option for Agriculture
in Jordan”, the UN said, in Jordan
has put forward the use of non-conventional water resources as an adaptation
option, with the expansion of decentralized wastewater treatment as one of the
country’s goals in its 2008–2022 Water Strategy.
Jordan already operates 34 wastewater treatment plants
that provide 14 percent of total water supply, and treated wastewater reused in
agriculture accounts for about 25 percent of the total amount of water used
for irrigation.
However, despite tackling this non-conventional water resource
in Jordan’s policies, there are several challenges that hinder the full
achievement of this goal.
Jordan already operates 34 wastewater treatment plants that provide 14 percent of total water supply. ...
These challenges include the weak coordination between
several government institutions with overlying responsibilities, as well as the
lack of institutional and staff capacity. Moreover, the price of treated
wastewater for irrigation is set administratively and may not reflect true cost
of operation, while the DWATS in small Jordanian communities is disadvantaged
as an option by scattered populations, small size, inability to afford DWATS
tariffs, and the lack of social acceptance for wastewater reuse.
The brief launched today is the third of a series of
policy briefs that aim to inform decision making and ensure synergy with other
national and international frameworks. The release of the policy brief coincides
with the World Water Day (WWD) annually observed on 22 March.
This year’s WWD is observed under the theme
Groundwater: making the invisible visible.
To galvanize action on water for sustainable
development, the UN will host a water conference next year. The conference will
be preceded by regional and global preparatory meetings and informed by
existing water-related meetings at the regional and global level.
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