Water supply and sanitation in Jordan

This article was last comprehensively updated in June 2012, with partial updates in January 2015.
Water supply and sanitation in Jordan
The flag of Jordan
Data
Access to an improved water source96% (2012, 2014 estimate)[1]
Access to improved sanitation98% (2012, 2014 estimate)[1]
Share of collected wastewater treated98%[2]
Continuity of supplyabout once per week depending on season and locality (2009); continuous supply only in Aqaba[3]
Average urban water use (L/person/day)80[2]
Average urban water and sanitation tariff (US$/m3)0.65 (2009, for Amman only, corresponding to a consumption of 20m3/month)[4]
Share of household metering95% (2007 in the Middle Governorates)[5]
Annual investment in WSSUS$40 per capita per year (2005–2010 average)[6]
FinancingExternal grants (27%), external loans (3%), domestic bonds (36%) and government grants (34%) (2005–2010)[6]
Non-revenue water44% (2008)[7]
Institutions
Decentralization to municipalitiesNo
National water and sanitation companyNo
Water and sanitation regulatorProject Management Unit (PMU), only for private operators
Responsibility for policy settingMinistry of Water and Irrigation (MWI)
Sector lawNo comprehensive sector law, only the law creating WAJ
Service providers4 (Water Authority of Jordan and three companies: Miyahuna, Aqaba Water Company and Yarmouk Water Company)

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, the Iraq War of 2003 and the Syrian Civil War since 2011. Jordan is considered 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 for Jordan. The Disi Water Conveyance Project from the non-renewable Disi aquifer to the capital Amman, opened in July 2013, increases available resources by about 12%. It is planned to bridge the remaining gap between demand and supply through increased use of reclaimed water and desalinated sea water to be provided through the Red Sea-Dead Sea canal.

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.[1] However, water supply is intermittent and it is common to store water in rooftop tanks. The level of water lost through leakage, underregistration, and theft in municipal water supply (non-revenue water) is approximately 51%.[8] Water tariffs are subsidized. A National Water Strategy, adopted in 2009, emphasizes desalination and wastewater reuse. The country receives substantial foreign aid for investments in the water sector, accounting for about 30% of water investment financing.[9]

  1. ^ a b c World Health Organization; UNICEF. "Joint Monitoring Program". Archived from the original on 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  2. ^ a b Water Authority of Jordan. "FAQs". Retrieved 2011-12-10.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Michigan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Water Authority of Jordan:Water Tariff, in Arabic, accessed on November 24, 2010, converted to USD using an exchange rate of 1JD=USD0.73
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference GFA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference USAID Review was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Water Authority of Jordan:Water loss rate in the Kingdom for the years 1999–2008, accessed on November 25, 2010
  8. ^ Jordan Water Sector: Facts and Figures (PDF) (Report). Ministry of Water and Irrigation. 2015. p. 14. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  9. ^ Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI) (Jordan) (n.d.). "The Plan for the Response to Water Challenges". Archived from the original on 2008-02-29. Retrieved 2008-03-11.