Jordan struggles with dry dams, water deficit
Jordan is facing an “unprecedented” drought crisis as a number of its dams dried up due to the scarcity of rainwater, which prompted the kingdom to knock on Israel’s door to buy additional quantities of water to meet the current water deficit of 40 million cubic meters.
AMMAN, Jordan — Farmers in the Jordan Valley are haunted by the specter of drought as the water level of King Talal Dam, the kingdom’s largest dam, reaches dangerous low levels.
The dam irrigates 80% of the agricultural areas and units in the Jordan Valley, and the farmers’ concerns are justified after six dams in Jordan have dried up due to the scarcity of rainwater.
Head of the Jordan Valley Farmers Union Adnan Khaddam told Al-Monitor that “six water dams in Jordan out of 14 have dried up — namely al-Wala, Mujib, Wadi Karak, Tannur, Wadi Shueib and Zaqlab Dam,” which are scattered throughout the kingdom and are used to irrigate agricultural crops.
“The dam covers 80% of the water needs of farmers in the Jordan Valley, which amount to 400,000 to 550,000 cubic meters per day, but the available quantity in the dam is 19 million cubic meters, of which 10 million cubic meters are silt. So the issue of drought is only a matter of time.”
