Resource and Consumption: Resource scarcity: Jordan

Question 1

Why is water, energy and food all severely limited and under stress?

Answer 1

Because of a high internal population growth rate and the influx of 1.4 million refugees from Syria. Jordan needs an integrated approach to planning and policy regarding the management of food, water and energy.

Question 2

What is the climate like?

Answer 2

arid desert with rain from November to April.

Question 3

What is the NIR?

Answer 3

2.17%; this does not take into account the immigration rate of 13.4 migrants per 1000 population.

Question 4

What is the water situation?

Answer 4

Supply is extremely limited at 145 m3 per person per year.

Just under 97% of the population has access to improved drinking water; that is, 97.8% of the urban population but only 92.3% of the rural population.

Precipitation is around 270 mm/annum, which supplies 680 MCM. The problem is that high temperatures mean that evaporation rates are also very high (over 90%). Climate change threatens to make the already low precipitation more uncertain and more variable.

Question 5

What is the energy situation?

Answer 5

• Electricity consumption rose by 58% between 2001 and 2011.
• Political unrest in the region is jeopardising energy imports and natural gas imports have fallen significantly. This resulted in disruption to the electricity supply with frequent blackouts. To supplement the shortfall of gas, Jordan imports diesel.
• Renewable energy Project aims to cut down energy costs caused by overcrowded schools as a result of many Syrian refugee students.

Question 6

What is the food situation?

Answer 6

• Agriculture consumes over 50% of Jordan’s limited water supplies but contributes only 6% to the GDP and 12% of the exports.
• Food supply is relatively good with 92% of the population having access to food. The government subsidises basic foods such as bread and barley. It also subsidises cooking gas to ensure people are able to cook their food.
• Jordan is self-sufficient in fruit and vegetables; this is due to the fact that the government supports this sector strongly.
• Jordan must import the staple grains because grain production has been in decline since the 1960s. As the population grew, urbanised water was diverted away from agricultural production to meet the new demand. Cereals suffered as they need more water than the indigenous crops.