The official spokesperson for the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Omar Salameh, says that the primary challenge lies in how to balance limited water resources with the increasing demand for water, while simultaneously maintaining the sustainability of the agricultural sector and its role in achieving food security.
He points out that among the most prominent challenges are the depletion of some groundwater sources, the decline and fluctuation of rainfall rates due to climate change, and the increased demand for water across domestic, agricultural, industrial, and service uses.
Therefore, dealing with the future needs of the agricultural sector will not depend solely on providing additional quantities of water, but on increasing the efficiency of its use, expanding the use of treated water and non-conventional sources, protecting aquifers, improving irrigation techniques, and directing water toward more efficient and economically valuable crops.
Within the framework of plans to increase reliance on non-conventional sources, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation is working to reshape the agricultural water system so that it no longer relies primarily on conventional sources, foremost among them groundwater, but rather relies more heavily on treated water and non-conventional sources.
The ministry's plans include expanding the construction and rehabilitation of wastewater treatment plants, increasing the quantities of treated water and reusing it in agriculture in accordance with health and environmental requirements, in addition to developing networks for transporting and distributing this water to suitable agricultural areas.
Furthermore, the implementation of the National Water Carrier project for desalination and water transport will comprehensively strengthen the water security system, as increased drinking water supplies will lead to an increase in the quantities of wastewater available for treatment and reuse, which provides an additional and sustainable source of agricultural water and eases the pressure on groundwater.
In parallel, the ministry is working to enhance water harvesting, increase storage in dams, ponds, and collection wells, reduce water loss, and increase water use efficiency, with the goal of making treated water and non-conventional sources a key element in meeting the needs of the agricultural sector, thereby preserving groundwater, enhancing food security, and achieving the best use of every cubic meter of available water.
Agricultural Water Management.. From Increasing Quantities to Maximizing Value
Salameh says that the ministry views the future of agricultural water from a different perspective, as the challenge is not just to provide additional quantities of water, but to maximize the production and economic value of every cubic meter.
He explains that the ministry is working to maintain the needs of the agricultural sector, in parallel with increasing reliance on treated water and non-conventional sources, increasing irrigation efficiency, protecting groundwater, and expanding into crops with higher value and lower water consumption, in a way that achieves a balance between water security and food security, in line with the National Water Strategy 2023–2040, which considers water a limited national resource that must be managed in an integrated manner between water, agriculture, food, and the economy.
Salameh points out that the ministry has future estimates according to the National Water Strategy, where demand for irrigation water is expected to rise if the current situation continues, a challenge that can be managed by changing the pattern of agricultural water use, expanding the use of treated water, increasing irrigation efficiency, protecting groundwater, and moving toward more efficient and economically valuable crops.
Moreover, the implementation of non-conventional water source projects, foremost among them the National Water Carrier, will indirectly contribute to supporting agriculture by increasing the quantities of treated wastewater available for reuse in irrigation. Accordingly, the ministry is implementing plans that are not based solely on searching for additional water sources for agriculture, but on managing demand and maximizing the economic and nutritional value of every cubic meter, in a way that achieves a balance between water security and food security.
Salameh emphasizes that the ministry does not treat the agricultural sector's share as a fixed number isolated from other uses, but rather within an integrated system for managing water resources and balancing demand with available resources. At the same time, the ministry recognizes the strategic importance of agriculture and its role in achieving food and economic security; therefore, the goal is to ensure sustainable supplies for the agricultural sector by increasing usage efficiency, reducing waste, protecting groundwater, and expanding the use of treated water and non-conventional sources, so that greater agricultural production and higher economic value are achieved for every cubic meter of water.
Consequently, increasing the efficiency of the system as a whole, providing new and non-conventional sources, and achieving a balance between water security and food security, while prioritizing essential uses and maintaining the sustainability of resources for future generations, is the primary goal.
Efficiency of Use.. Protecting Every Cubic Meter
Regarding curbing water waste in the agricultural sector, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation is working to limit waste through an integrated set of measures, starting from rehabilitating irrigation networks and facilities and reducing leakage and losses, and extending to increasing the efficiency of modern irrigation systems at the farm level, improving measurement, monitoring, and control of the quantities of water used, and strengthening the role of water user associations managed by the farmers themselves.
The ministry, through the Jordan Valley Authority, is also working with the Ministry of Agriculture to enhance water use efficiency and direct it toward more efficient and economically valuable crops, in addition to expanding the use of treated water and non-conventional sources, which eases the pressure on freshwater and groundwater.
At the same time, illegal uses and encroachments on water sources and networks are being dealt with firmly, considering that protecting every cubic meter of water is no less important than providing new sources.
Former water sector consultant Engineer Ibrahim Al-Hayasat believes that water scarcity has become a factor forcing Jordan to reconsider the types of crops it focuses on producing in the future, noting that agricultural priority can no longer be based solely on the most profitable crop for the farmer, but must take into account the water the crop needs versus the economic and nutritional return it achieves.
Al-Hayasat explains that water use efficiency includes irrigation efficiency within the farm, which is the amount of water that actually reaches the plant compared to the water pumped, in addition to network and transport efficiency, i.e., the water lost before reaching the farm, as well as the efficiency of water distribution between crops and regions.
In light of limited water, it is necessary to look at the use that achieves the highest economic, nutritional, and social return, which requires linking water policy with agricultural policy in a more integrated manner, rather than each sector working in isolation from the other, which is what the National Water Strategy 2023–2040 seeks to achieve.
Smart Irrigation.. Increasing Production Without Increasing Water
Al-Hayasat emphasizes that increasing agricultural production without increasing water must be one of the main goals of agricultural and water policy, but this requires moving from increasing cultivated areas to increasing the productivity of a unit of water, which requires an integrated package that includes modernizing irrigation networks, reducing losses, and expanding the use of technology and artificial intelligence in irrigation ("smart irrigation").
In other words, additional water is not the only way to increase agricultural production, as in some cases, greater agricultural production can be obtained from the same amount of water by improving efficiency and productivity.
Technology can make a tangible difference, but it is not a magic solution to the agricultural water crisis. What is required is not just installing drip networks or sensors, but building a water-smart agricultural system, through the use of satellite imagery to determine crop needs, artificial intelligence to predict irrigation needs, and improving the timing and quantities of water used to suit plant needs and climatic conditions.
The Crop Under the Water and Climate Test
Al-Hayasat emphasizes that Jordan needs to move gradually from the concept of maximizing agricultural production to the concept of maximizing production and value per cubic meter of water, which means giving priority to crops with lower water needs or those that achieve high economic and nutritional value, while expanding into drought- and heat-resistant varieties, which enhances food security and nutrition.
He points out that this approach is consistent with the National Water Strategy, which calls for restructuring water uses in agriculture toward crops that consume less water and have higher economic value.
He adds that increasing agricultural production without increasing water usage also requires reconsidering the nature of crops and cultivated areas, so that agricultural expansion is not based solely on increasing land area, but on raising the productivity of each unit of water and achieving greater value from available resources.
Water efficiency draws the future agricultural map
Regarding the future of the agricultural map in Jordan, the National Water Strategy indicates that climate change will place further pressure on the agricultural sector with declining rainfall and increased volatility, making the Jordanian agricultural map more dependent on water availability, temperature, salinity, and climatic conditions.
Agricultural areas with better water resources will remain more capable of producing irrigated crops, while areas relying on groundwater will face increasing pressures due to depletion.
In high-altitude and rain-fed areas, there may be a greater need for crops that can withstand low and volatile rainfall, such as certain varieties of grains and crops with lower water requirements.
As for the Jordan Valley, it is likely to remain a major hub for high-value agricultural production, but with greater pressure to determine which crops maximize the value of available water, improve irrigation efficiency, and utilize treated wastewater in accordance with health and environmental regulations.
Al-Hayasat warns that one of the most prominent challenges is for Jordan to become more dependent on food imports at a time when global risks related to climate, prices, and supply chains are increasing. This scenario, if water stress continues, could lead to a decline in the production of certain crops, higher agricultural production costs, rising food prices, increased reliance on imports, and heightened competition for water between drinking, agriculture, and industry.
Here lies the importance of building a strategy that reflects the interdependence between water, energy, food, and the environment, and establishing a food security policy that does not rely solely on increasing local production, but on a mix of elements related to resource management, increasing efficiency, and selecting crops most suitable for water and climatic conditions, ensuring the sustainability of agriculture and food security for future generations.
