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Developing Sustainable Infrastructure to Counter Water Scarcity and Meet Food and Energy Demands in Jordan - GCP/JOR/018/SWI

Year of publication 2021

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 2

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Project

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Water scarcity in Jordan is driven primarily by the arid to semi-arid climatic conditions and has been intensified over recent decades due to population growth. The sustainable use and management of groundwater is of particular concern because of its importance to socio-economic development and local ecosystems. However, groundwater sources are under threat as a result of mismanagement and overexploitation for irrigated agriculture. In addition to placing pressure on Jordan’s supply of groundwater, agricultural activities demand energy, especially for pumping water from wells and pushing it through irrigation systems. Moreover, the lack of local energy resources and the high energy demand for social and economic development present additional challenges. Since agriculture is essential to rural livelihoods in Jordan, interventions are required to reduce the vulnerability and increase the resilience of rural and disadvantaged communities. To this end, the project adopted its defining 3-pronged approach, which focused on (i) water harvesting, (ii) the conjunctive use of groundwater and (iii) solar-powered drip irrigation.

Language English

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