JVA Achieves Milestone with 521 Water Harvesting Projects, Boosts Storage to Over 128 Million Cubic Meters

AMMAN: The Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) has successfully implemented 521 water harvesting projects by the end of 2023, significantly increasing the total design storage capacity to 128.2 million cubic meters, complemented by the main dams' capacity of 288 million cubic meters. According to Jordan News Agency, the Secretary-General of the JVA, Hisham Hisa, outlined the achievements during a recent statement issued by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation. Hisa highlighted the strategic importance of these projects in enhancing local development, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions of Jordan. The initiative not only aims to rehabilitate agricultural and pastoral lands but also seeks to create better conditions for livestock and reduce the strain on existing groundwater wells by promoting the use of harvested water for groundwater recharge and livestock watering. Hisa also emphasized the critical role of water harvesting as a primary water resource, pointing out the ministry's ongoing efforts to maximiz e the use of surface water through the construction and maintenance of dams, ponds, and other water catchment systems. These efforts are part of a broader commitment to address the challenges of meeting the drinking and irrigation water needs in Jordan, a country where water scarcity continues to be a pressing issue. The statement detailed the climatic challenges faced by Jordan, noting that 91 percent of its territory is classified as arid with annual rainfall ranging from 50-200 mm. Only a small fraction of the land, about 2.9 percent, is semi-arid with 400-580 mm of annual rainfall, while the remaining 5.7 percent receives 50-300 mm annually. Despite these conditions, Jordan's annual rainfall can vary significantly, from as low as 5,800 million cubic meters during dry years to about 1,100 million cubic meters in wet years, with an average of 8,522 million cubic meters. However, about 92 percent of this precipitation evaporates, leaving only a modest amount for groundwater recharge and surface water.