Jordan's Water Resources

The water shortages facing Jordan are profound and, while the country is presently undertaking extensive reform and investment into the water sector, forecasts indicate that a significant shortfall will still exist. The problem is not only that there is not enough water but this is compounded by the high population growth rate of the country. The rate of population growth in Jordan is 3.6 percent, and with a current population of around 5 million, it is expected to reach 7 million by the year 2010. The increasing population, industrial requirements, and the need for irrigation water puts increased pressure on water industries. Added to that, the living standards have increased in Jordan during the second half of the 20th century, raising the per capita use of water. The present per capita daily water use is 85 liters, which is very small compared to the United Kingdom's average of 225 liters/day. But if living standards continue to rise at the present rate, the water consumption will also increase. Various sources of non-conventional supply have been considered to meet this shortfall and a review of current literature revealed one option to consider: water importation, which presents a justifiable mechanism for alleviating this need. This paper presents a review of the available water resources in Jordan. Then it covers the water demands within the country and where the deficit can be addressed. Scenarios of additional volumes of water supply to Jordan are also detailed and then the possibilities of water importation are discussed.