Water Supply and Sanitation in Jordan

Water supply and sanitation in Jordan is characterized by severe water scarcity, which has been exacerbated by forced immigration as a result of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the Six-Day War in 1967, the Gulf War of 1990 and the Iraq War of 2003. Jordan is considered as one of the ten most water scarce countries in the world. High population growth, the depletion of groundwater reserves and the impacts of climate change are likely to aggravate the situation in the future.

The country's major surface water resources, the Jordan River and the Yarmouk River, are shared with Israel and Syria who leave only a small amount of water for Jordan. Groundwater resources are overexploited. It is planned to bridge the gap between demand and supply through increased use of non-conventional water resources like desalinated water, including as part of the Red Sea-Dead Sea canal, wastewater reuse and a 320 km long Disi Water Conveyance Project from the non-renewable Disi aquifer to the capital Amman.

Despite Jordan's severe water scarcity, more than 97% of Jordanians have access to an improved water source and 93% have access to improved sanitation. This is one of the highest rates in the Middle East and North Africa. However, water supply is intermittent and it is common to store water in rooftop tanks. A National Water Strategy adopted in 2009 emphasizes desalination and wastewater reuse and recommends a new law that would create a regulatory agency. Concerning infrastructure financing, the country relies largely on external funding.