Officials, farmers warn of drought’s ill effects

With the onset of summer, officials from the Ministry of Health have been urging citizens to control the use of water to avoid hygiene-related diseases. Farmers, meanwhile, say that severe water shortages are adversely affecting their ability to raise crops and livestock. For the past several summers, the authorities have implemented a rigorous rationing schedule to stave off looming water scarcity, according to which households are supplied with water only once or twice a week. This, however, has caused problems among big families, mainly in impoverished areas. Dr Baha' Edein Atawneh of the Al Hussein Hospital in Salt, 30km west of Amman, warned of the possible spread of disease among children, especially during summer, unless families prudently allocate their weekly water allotments. “We’re expecting more health problems this summer than last year, mostly among poor families who can’t afford to buy water to wash their children,” warned Atawneh. He added that the most frequent ailments among children were stomach infections and diarrhoea. Jordan – more than 90 percent of which is categorised as desert – is considered among the 10 most water-impoverished countries in the world, with per capita water consumption estimated at 170 cubic metres per annum. This compares to roughly 1,000 cubic metres per annum in other countries. According to official statistics released earlier this month by the Ministry of Water, the country's nine dams are currently filled with only 60.5 percent of their total capacity. The dams hold 131.9 million cubic metres (mcm) out of their total capacity of 217.94 mcm. According to Water Authority figures, during summer, Amman's 1.9 million inhabitants consume between 140,000 and 180,000 cubic metres of water daily. Public officials, meanwhile, say the kingdom has been robbed of its fair share of surface water because neighbouring countries help themselves to the lion’s share of water from the Yarmouk and Jordan rivers. “Our neighbours are siphoning off our water resources while we watch,” said one former water ministry official. There are also concerns about over-drafting from the country’s 1,600 wells. In the past, the government allowed landowners and farmers to pump water for agricultural and domestic use mostly in the vicinity of Amman and in southern parts of the kingdom. But one official complained that “influential land owners are depleting the country's water resources by pumping water illegally to irrigate their crops”. Farmers in the Jordan Valley, the kingdom's bread basket, meanwhile, lament the ill effects of water scarcity on their livestock and crops. “We’re on the brink of a crisis,” said Mahmoud Ouran, head of the Jordanian Farmer's Union. “The drought has left the country facing its worst harvests in years.” Ouran added that irrigated vegetable harvests – heavily dependant on water – have fallen by 50 percent since last year. Coping with scarcity As dawn breaks over the arid hills of Zeezya on the edge of the desert, Fayyes reluctantly abandons the warmth of his bed and wraps a kefya around his rugged face. He drives along the unpaved roads towards a nearby village to buy a tank full of water for his thirsty herd of sheep. The trip is hardly a new one for Fayyes. While his land once provided his sheep with all they needed of both food and water, the wells and streams have since dried up, while the once fertile land has become hostile terrain. With the area plagued by drought, all forms of vegetation have been slowly erased, threatening the wellbeing of the hundreds of Bedouin like Fayyes, who once thrived here. “We prayed that this winter would bring more rain, but once again the annual precipitation was disappointing,” he said. Fayyes' memories of green pastures evaporated months ago, along with the last drops of rain that fell during the short-lived winter season. “We never needed to buy fodder or water before, but now we have to buy everything,” he said. “I can no longer afford to tend to my animals.” Fayyes now must spend about the equivalent of US $700 a day on water and fodder, which has served to put his entire financial well being at risk. “The only way to feed my animals is to sell some of them,” he said. “I’m afraid I’ll end up alone after I’ve sold everything.” The dynamic has played havoc on local agricultural production. According to official figures, domestic production of red meat and milk fell below their usual levels by 40 percent over the past year alone, with many consumers turning to imported red meat from China, Australia, New Zealand and Romania. In hopes of reversing the trend, the government is currently pursuing several water-generation projects, including a much-trumpeted scheme to pump water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. Another project, scheduled to go online in September, aims to pump water from the Disi aquifer in the country’s deep south up to the capital. If successful, the Disi project is expected to supply the kingdom with 80 to 150 million cubic metres of drinking water annually for 100 years. Mbh/ar/am