Water issues in the Kingdom of Jordan: A brief review with reasons for declining quality

Abstract

This paper examines the problems of water shortage and quality issues in the Kingdom of Jordan. Demand for water has led to a decimation of ground water supplies and a significant rise in salinity. This rise in salinity can be traced to increasing saline base flows, the reduction in natural flows, changing extent of agriculture, agricultural practices, contamination of irrigation systems with saline inflow and poor infrastructural planning. Water security in Jordan is a very serious issue due to the rapid increase in population growth. Jordan is faced with the need to tighten regulations in water treatment, address the issue of domestic supply losses and illegal drawdown of ground water in the short term to gain significant inroads into the water problem. However, in the longer term, there is a need for a review of current infrastructure and its functionality, changing agricultural practice and finding sustainable sources of water.