Competing water demands in Jordan: the need and opportunity for improved water management
Date
1996-12
Authors
Roche, W. Martin, author
Hagan, Ross E., author
U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, publisher
Journal Title
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Abstract
Jordan does not have a water supply sufficient for current and future irrigation, domestic, and industrial needs. The Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) provides irrigation water to about 23,000 hectares (57,000 acres) of land in the Jordan Valley where a variety of crops are raised. Water supplied from the Jordan River and its tributaries is limited, and storage is very limited. Domestic and industrial water supplies are also taken from the river, and demands will increase as the population and industrial base expands. Per capita water use is very low, so opportunities to conserve domestic water are limited. Thus the agricultural sector is faced with losing an ever increasing amount of water to domestic and industrial uses; however, much of this water will return to the agricultural sector as treated waste water. There are several opportunities for improving the efficiency of water use in the Jordan Valley including: rehabilitation of the irrigation water delivery system; improvement of the operation and maintenance of the system; upgrading the skills of JVA operations and maintenance personnel; development of water delivery schedules that are compatible with cropping patterns and on-farm irrigation systems, particularly micro-irrigation systems; providing water of adequate quality for use with micro-irrigation delivery systems; training and providing information and technical assistance to farmers; and assisting in the development of water user organizations. This paper discusses the activities that are currently underway and are proposed to conserve water in the Jordan Valley.
Description
Presented at Competing interests in water resources - searching for consensus: proceedings from the USCID water management conference held on December 5-7, 1996 in Las Vegas, Nevada.