Jordan suffers water scarcity

March 19,2014: As Jordan struggles with severe water shortage issues – ongoing drought, population growth and now waves of refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict – the country is at a critical moment, said a United Nations independent expert on Monday, emphasizing its need to take a long-term approach to its water and sanitation strategies. “The existing emergency measures to the water scarcity problem are not sufficient or sustainable,” said UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Catarina de Albuquerque, wrapping a six-day visit to Jordan. “There must be a link between current emergency needs with a long-term, comprehensive development strategy that ensures access to water and sanitation for all people in Jordan,” she insisted. Jordan is one of the three most water-scarce countries in the world. The severe shortage of water has been worsened by drought, depletion of groundwater reserves, population growth, inflow of migrant workers and climate change. Added to this the several waves of refugees resulting from conflicts in the region – the latest from Syria – has increased these pressures.
De Albuquerque has called on the Jordanian Government to make water for human consumption the highest priority over other uses. .
Source: UN