As Climate Change Worsens, Jordan Fights a War for Water

Bellefonte — As many of its neighbors are embroiled in conflict, the Kingdom of Jordan is fighting a different kind of existential threat — water scarcity.

Jordan is one of the most water-insecure countries on Earth. The Fallenmark Indicator, a metric used to measure a population’s water stress, identifies any country in which the annual average water supply is less than 500 m3 per person as one that is suffering from absolute water scarcity.

Jordan’s average citizen has only about 150 m3 of water available to them per year. For perspective, the average American consumed about 1,207 m3 of water in 2017.

Jordanians in urban zones have water delivered weekly, while some in the rural areas get it once every two weeks. Despite its status as an absolute water scarce nation, the majority of Jordanians have access to clean, sanitized water. This is made possible in part by a series of aquifers that collect rainwater.

Other sources include the Jordan River, The Sea of Galilee in Israel, and the Red Sea, where the water must be desalinated. These resources are limited, however, especially the aquifers used to collect the incredibly minute amount of rain the country sees annually. Climate change is having a massive impact on sources like the Jordan River, drying up the dwindling tributaries.

But the climate is not the only cause for Jordan’s poor water supply. An aging infrastructure of leaky pipes has led to massive amounts of water loss. Jordan has also been host to millions of refugees fleeing violence, with the country struggling to keep up with the massive population growth.

*A drained Dead Sea. Pockets of water separated by dry land.*

One of the boldest proposals to solve the crisis, known as the Red Sea-Dead Sea Conveyance Project, requires cooperation with neighboring Israel and the Palestinian Authority. This $10 billion project would see a pipeline connecting the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, and see the construction of a desalination plant near the Red Sea, as well as a duo of hydroelectric plants to power the project.

All parties involved are seeking international aid in funding the project. The goal is two-fold: to help ease the water crisis Jordan faces and to save the Dead Sea. The famous body of water has been slowly disappearing for decades and provides both Israel and Jordan with millions of dollars in tourism revenue.

The project would eventually see “water swaps” between Israel and Jordan, with Israel purchasing water from the desalination plant and Jordan purchasing water from the variety of available water sources within Israel. The project is certainly ambitious and has the potential to be a symbol of cooperation between the two nations.