Water Supply and Sanitation in Jordan - Water Balance

Water Balance

Jordan is considered as one of the four most water scarce countries in the World. The limited water resources are exposed to pollution. Population growth is expected to increase the pressure on available water resources.

The National Water Strategy defines “water deficit” as “water demand” minus “water resources”. “Water demand” is not used in an economic sense where demand depends on price. Instead demand is defined as water needs derived from policy objectives. Thus the figure given in the strategy for water demand in agriculture - 1,080 million cubic meters (MCM)/year - is far greater than actual water use of about 600 MCM/year. In 2007, agriculture accounted for 72% of “water demand”, while the municipal share was 24% and the shares of tourism and industries were 3% and 1%, respectively. The water deficit of 565 million cubic meter (MCM)/year for 2007 thus is mainly caused by assumptions about “water needs” in agriculture.

The Strategy projects that municipal and industrial water needs will increase by 276 MCM/year from 2007 to 2022 (+ 29%), while agricultural water needs will stagnate. The Strategy envisages increasing water supply through three measures:

• more use of reclaimed water in agriculture and industry (+ 156 MCM/year),
• a net increase of fossil groundwater use (+ 59 MCM /year) through the Disi Water Conveyance Project to be completed in 2013, and
• the desalination of seawater as part of the Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal (+ 500 MCM/year) to be completed in 2022.

These measures would provide more water than what is needed to cover the projected increase in municipal and industrial water demand. The remaining amount could be used to cover “water needs” in agriculture, to reduce groundwater overuse or to restore freshwater aquatic ecosystems.