Minister: Water shortage threatens tourism, industry, and agriculture sectors
Abu Soud said the ministry is working on two parallel tracks to ensure Jordan's water security, indicating that the first is implementing the National Water Carrier Project, and the second aims to reduce losses and improve "efficiency" of networks using modern technologies.
The minister's remarks came during a dialogue session held recently by the Jordan Economic Forum (JEF) to discuss challenges facing the Kingdom's water sector.
According to a JEF statement issued Saturday, Abu Soud noted the National Water Carrier Project is one of the "largest strategic" enterprises in the Kingdom's history and is the cornerstone of "sustainable" water supply in the coming years.
The project, he noted, will provide approximately 300 million cubic meters annually, which would make a fundamental difference in meeting needs of citizens and economic sectors.
The minister indicated that water issue is "no longer simply a service, but rather a national security issue."
If the per capita share falls below 30 cubic meters annually and the situation continues unchanged, it would have significant repercussions on all sectors, mainly tourism, industry, and agriculture sectors, he pointed out.
During the session, moderated by JEF's Board Member Malak Oqili, the minister said tourism will be one of the most affected sectors, which would impact its "competitiveness" due to its need for more water that will then increase the operating costs in this industry.
In the industrial sector, the minister stated that the increased cost of industrial water will place additional burdens on factories and lead to "higher" production costs, which could weaken exports competitiveness.
As for the agricultural sector, he noted the decreasing water supply threatens to shrink agricultural areas and reduce production.
Regarding challenges of outdated networks and modern technology, Abu Soud said the ministry is working to reduce the loss rate in networks that are suffering from deterioration, as some fixtures are more than fifty years old.
Abu Soud stated the ministry aims to reduce water loss by 2% annually, equivalent to approximately 5 million cubic meters per year.
The minister noted this goal is being fulfilled by replacing water networks, detecting leaks early, and controlling violations.
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