New Opportunities for Water Security in Jordan

Under the patronage of HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal, the WANA institute in partnership with the University of Oxford and Ecopeace shared their research findings for a project funded by the British Council in a closing workshop on Tuesday March 7.

The project ‘Delivering Food and Water Security in a Middle East in Flux’ aimed at finding new ways to increase water productivity in Jordan knowing that the Middle East is among the most water scarce regions in the world. While agriculture consumes the majority of water resources, its contribution to the GDP is low compared to other sectors. Many states in the region are struggling with high unemployment and population growth rates. In the years to come, increased population and economic growth increases the urgency to enhance agricultural production without exhausting natural resources.

The research studied how other countries managed to increase their agricultural production without putting too much pressure on their water resources and explored the potential outcomes if these methods were applied in Jordan and Palestine. The overall policy recommendations were shared during this closing workshop and stakeholders were invited to open discussions on future ways forward.