Water

USAID’s Institutional Support Project provides technical assistance in the water sector. One example is the small scale desalination plant pictured above.

USAID

Jordan is among the driest countries in the world. Climate change trends suggest an even more arid future. Rapid population growth has shrunk the amount of fresh water available to the average Jordanian to less than 150 cubic meters per year, compared to 9,000 cubic meters per year for every U.S. citizen. As the country’s population and economy continue to grow, depletion of groundwater will only increase at a time when more water is already being consumed than is available from renewable sources. Therefore, urgent action is needed to conserve, allocate, and use this limited, precious resource more efficiently for a sustainable and stable future.

A top priority of USAID is to develop and conserve Jordan’s water resources. We have helped the Government of Jordan to formulate more effective water policies and raised awareness of the water crisis. After investing heavily in expanding and rehabilitating water supply systems and training hundreds of water experts, we built and renovated water distribution networks and wastewater treatment plants across Jordan. More recently, we are focusing on how to minimize losses in the water system and to change behaviors to improve water efficiency in households, businesses, farms and institutions nationwide.

Our impacts in this sector include:

• Improved fresh water and sanitation services for more than a third of Jordan’s population, including the building of a desalination plant that provides nearly a third of Amman’s water supply.
• Helped make use of treated wastewater publicly acceptable in agricultural, landscaping and industrial projects, directly benefitting more than a million people in one year (2012).
• Engaged families, institutions and communities in water efficiency and conservation projects.