Amman: Senate President Faisal Fayez on Wednesday emphasized the importance of water security as an integral component of national security by optimizing the use of groundwater and surface water, large quantities of which are wasted each winter.
According to Jordan News Agency, Fayez spoke at a meeting where he received a study from the Amman Group for Future Dialogues on ensuring water security sustainability in Jordan. The focus was on diversifying water sources, implementing desalination, and expanding renewable energy. Fayez proposed a project akin to the National Water Carrier to tackle future water scarcity due to population growth, either through desalination or by treating groundwater to make it potable and compensating for shortages in agricultural water allocations.
Fayez also highlighted the necessity of addressing water loss, cleaning dams, expanding water harvesting systems, and constructing earth dams. He emphasized tackling the rising costs of energy by expanding renewable energy projects, such as solar and wind, due to their impact on water prices and the cost of extracting and desalinating water.
Bilal Al-Tal, head of the Amman Group for Future Dialogues, noted that Jordan is experiencing a complex water crisis influenced by population pressures, climate change, increased water loss, and regional crises impacting food and economic security. He stressed that Jordan's status as one of the world's most water-scarce countries demands an urgent move from planning to implementing sustainable solutions.
The study concluded that water desalination is a crucial solution to Jordan's water scarcity, whether through the National Water Carrier project to desalinate Red Sea water or desalination of brackish and deep wells, utilizing mobile desalination technologies. It advocated for expanding the use of renewable energy in water projects to reduce costs, capitalizing on Jordan's solar energy potential.
Furthermore, the study emphasized reducing water loss from leaks and tampering with networks, rehabilitating infrastructure, deploying smart meters, curbing water theft, and expanding rainwater harvesting, dam construction, and recharging groundwater basins. Additionally, it highlighted the importance of treating wastewater for agricultural use, given that agriculture consumes the largest share of water.