Securing Jordan’s Future: Water Independence and Environmental Sustainability

Jordan is a country on the edge. With a harsh climate which is becoming more extreme due to global warming, the water supply is becoming increasingly scarce. This has been exacerbated by a naturally growing population as well as the conflict in Syria, which increased the population by over 50%, in the past decade. While the government reports that approximately 60l per person per day is available, putting this at the low end of the UN recommended 50 to 100l, the reality is that this water supply is unreliable, and much is being lost to poor administration and theft.  

The government has been experimenting with solutions for the past few decades, and has recently started developing a world leading desalination project, with the aim of meeting 60% of the domestic water supply. The Aqaba-Amman project is estimated to cost $4 billion, the largest ever attempted in the region, and is being co-funded by a French company, Meridiam, a B corp that specialises in sustainable infrastructure investments that is partnering with the European Investment Bank to bring this initiative to fruition. The hope is that the new water source will solve the crisis for generations to come. 

The Human Cost of Limited Water 

Over half of Jordan’s water supply currently comes from aquifers which are being drained at a faster rate than they are able to refill. This is exacerbated by the method of distribution, most households in Amman are supplied with water to rooftop tanks on a weekly basis, but rural locations often receive supplies much less frequently. Even this is not reliable. A resident of Amman complained to the press that he didn’t receive water for over 4 months, forcing him to purchase a supply at a much higher price. This is causing greater divisions between rich and poor, making the status quo unsustainable.  

A sufficient water supply will also resolve the issue of water theft, a significant issue for the country. Approximately 50% of the water currently distributed is lost to leakage or theft. This is a self-perpetuating problem; theft occurs because the black market for reselling water is lucrative due to shortages in the government supply. Theft often happens through tampering with the piped fresh water supply and is costly to repair, and in addition the damaged pipes cause leakage which has further effects on the total available water. While the government has cracked down on administrative and illegal water loss, the increase in overall supply should significantly limit the interest in diverting existing sources to make a profit.  

Regional politics impacting water supply 

In any other part of the world, the obvious solution would be to lean harder on its neighbours to resolve the water shortages, but in Jordan’s case this is difficult. Regional politics are complex and the situation is constantly evolving. While it has maintained a decent relationship with Israel since a peace treaty was signed in 1994, which has included a supply of water, Jordan’s dependence on the state for water has been a concern for local officials. Israel and Jordan were intending to build a canal linking the Dead Sea with the Red Sea to alleviate some of the shortages, an agreement was signed in 2013, but Jordan backed out of the plan in favour of more independence.   

There have also been plans for Israel to supply water in exchange for solar power from a deal in 2021, brokered by the UAE. This seemed like a good exchange, Israel was planning to build a new desalination plant on the coast and Jordan was going to partner with a UAE organisation to build a large scale solar farm. Both nations would have been playing to their strengths, Jordan with the space to lay the solar panels and Israel with easy access to the sea. However, Jordan has decided to focus on the desalination project to maintain sovereignty and future proof the supply.  

The Aqaba-Amman desalination plant: a world class innovator 

This ambitious desalination project is the first of its kind across several dimensions. It will be the largest infrastructure project ever constructed in Jordan and the region, and the second largest in the world after Ras AL Khair Desalination Plant in Saudi Arabia. The Aqaba-Amman project will deliver a vast quantity of desalinated water, 300 million m³ per year, and will also pipe this water 420km north to the population centre. Alongside its impressive scale, it has also been designed to minimise environmental impact.  

It will be one of the first desalination plants powered by solar panels – making use of the local arid climate. The Middle East is a prime location for solar power, much of the terrain is barren and panels can be erected in such a way as to minimise the impact on the local ecology. A similar plant, the smaller Hassyan seawater desalination plant in Dubai is also being constructed with a similar aim, it will be delivered by another desalination provider, Veolia. Most desalination plants still rely on fossil fuels making these initiatives an example for others to follow. The dropping price of solar and increasing availability should make systems like this easier to finance for other plants in the coming decades.  

Alongside its energy efficiency, the Aqaba-Amman plant has also been designed to limit negative impacts to the Red Sea, from where the water will be extracted and the waste products reintroduced. Extraction will happen at low velocity and over a wide area to limit impact to marine life, as well as at a depth that will reduce damage. Wastewater treatment is included in the initiative to ensure that no chemicals from the process make their way back into the seawater. All of this is critical for the Red Sea, already a highly salinated body of water with less circulation than larger oceans.  

The Aqaba-Amman project will be transformational for the water situation in Jordan, finally giving the government full control over a sufficient water supply. While the initial cost of construction is significant, this project has shown that there is both value and attractive environmental return in this type of investment, hopefully paving the way for more innovative water projects in other regions. Using solar power at such a scale will demonstrate that it is possible to mitigate the energy impact of large scale desalination. In many water pressed regions, this should provide new justification for moving towards an energy efficient water supply from the sea.