AMMAN — A new study urged decision makers in Jordan to
pursue targeted interventions to alleviate the Kingdom’s water scarcity
problem, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.
اضافة اعلان
The Economist
Impact Analysis, commissioned by
UNICEF Jordan, highlighted the need to
increase water supply, optimize water use, and create an environment conducive
to efficient water investment.
Jordan needs to
augment water supply through desalination, improve the water network, enhance
wastewater treatment and harvest rainwater, according to the study conducted in
collaboration with The Economist magazine.
Muhammad
Al-Duwairi, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation’s assistant secretary-general
for strategic planning, told a ceremony Wednesday marking the launching of the
study that water scarcity not only affects education, the economy and
lifestyle, but has a far-reaching impact on the society’s wellbeing.
UNICEF Country
Representative
Tanya Chapuisat underlined the link between water scarcity and
children wellbeing. “Water scarcity is a threat for children and it is a
child’s right to have a secure source of water,” she said.
Chapuisat urged
stakeholders to make changes in policy and practices to resolve this issue,
hoping this report will start a conversation that will lead to change in the
society.
The key findings
of the study were presented by a representative from The Economist in the form
of an info-graphics brochure that was handed to all attendees and is available
online.
The magazine’s
representative explained the objectives of the study which included educating
policy makers and the general public about the impact of water stress. It also
sought to model the impact of growing water stress on social and economic
outcomes in Jordan.
Lastly, the
study aimed to highlight the role and impact of policy and programs in reducing
the impact of water stress in Jordan.
The findings
articulated the impact of water stress on the agriculture, service and
manufacturing sectors in Jordan.
According to the
study, agriculture contributes about 5 percent to Jordan’s GDP, but consumes
more that 50 percent of the country’s freshwater resources.
The Economist
representative said the role of water in manufacturing is less direct than in
agriculture but still uses a significant amount of water in production
processes. The findings revealed shortages of water and increases in
operational costs in the tourism sector during periods of water stress.
The study showed
water scarcity as a cause of food insecurity in Jordan. It was reported that
food supply adequacy in Jordan has declined from 125 percent in the mid 2000s
to just 117 percent, which is among the lowest in the region.
The study
pointed that children are more vulnerable to water-related diseases and
malnutrition which can impact their development, educational and earning
potential.
For young
adults, it was reported that absence from work and school due to disease and
inadequate
WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) facilities limit economic
activity and productivity.
Female primary
school enrollment rates in the kingdom have dropped to 80 percent as of 2018
and according to the study are predicted to decline more due to water stress by
2030.
Jordan is among
the top three recipients of refugees in the region. According to the report, an
inflow of migrants and refugees creates an additional demand for water.
The study suggested that
political instability could be a future cause of water insecurity in the
country. Jordan is a downstream country which obtains 40 percent of its water
supply from trans-boundary basins, leaving it heavily dependent on cooperation
with its upstream neighbors.
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