Jordan faces one of the worst droughts in its history

 Experts say Jordan is currently experiencing one of the worst droughts in its history 

                                    

Partial view of the Dead Sea, which is losing altitude dramatically due to the severe drought. [Khalil Mazraawi / AFP]

 Many warn that the worst is yet to come. The Dead Sea in Jordan, where the severe drought hits hard in one of the world's most arid countries.

 "See how thirsty the land is," he said, walking over the cracked earth stained with white salt stains and waving to the five acres of his farm. "Everything I've planted ... is dead. He inspected a marble-sized tomato that had dried before ripening.

 "If there had been water, this tomato would have been the size of the one Daoud, 25, is renting.." If there had been water, this tomato would have been as big as the  Daoud rents the land in Ghor al-Haditha, about 80 kilometers south of the capital Amman. 

                                     

If there had been water, this tomato would have been the size of the one Daoud garmer, 25 years

The fertile area is home to many orchards, but the drought has taken a heavy toll.

 "Usually we suffer from water shortages, but this year it is much worse," said Daoud."When it arrives, the flow is too low to irrigate our crops or fill our tanks. 

The salty waters of the nearby Dead Sea are also decreasing dramatically. The most recent rainy season, which generally runs from October to late April, The Rainfalls have been greatly reduced, accounting for only 60 percent of normal falls, said Omar Salameh, communications chief for the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

 "The situation is critical," he said. The Environment Ministry says Jordan is one of the world's most water-scarce countries and fears that global warming will worsen the situation. 

                                   

Rising temperatures and falling rainfall as a result of climate change would have a negative impact on crops and water availability- AFP

"Rising temperatures and falling rainfall as a result of climate change would have a negative impact on crops and water availability," says the ministry in its National Climate Policy.

According to World Bank forecasts, the average annual temperature is expected to rise by two degrees Celsius and precipitation will decrease by a fifth by 2050.

 On a nearby nine-hectare farm is the 43-year-old Ibrahim The Dgheimat-year-old sits in his truck, overwhelmed by the heat. Watch as several women collect beans. "I usually grow peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and cabbage," he said. 

"But this year the lack of water destroyed two-thirds of my crops. The financial losses were huge, up to $ 42,000." I have no way of paying the workers, "Dgheimat said. To make matters worse, prices .

The pandemic has also hit large customers like hotels and restaurants hard after exports last year due to corona virus-related border closings had decreased by a fifth.

Daoud, born in Jordan to Pakistani parents who arrived like thousands of compatriots in the 1960s, many of them en route to pilgrimage to Mecca in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, says he could only set fire to the failed harvest. 

It's going to go up in smoke, "says Daoud, who works with his brothers and their children. Aside from watering the crops, the drought could also reduce access to clean water. 

                                  

Jordan needs about 1.3 billion cubic meters of water a day, Dead Sea, which is dropping dramatically in height because of severe drought.

Jordan needs about 1.3 billion cubic meters of water a day. However, the quantities available are 850 to 900 million cubic meters, with the deficit "being due to low rainfall, global warming, population growth and successive flows of refugees," Salameh said., 

with the deficit "due to low rainfall, global warming, population growth and successive inflows of refugees," Salameh said. This year, the reserves of the three drinking water dams have reached critical levels at the same time Household water consumption has increased 10 percent since the pandemic began. 

People are staying at home with restrictions. In total, the country will have 40 million cubic meters of water a year, according to Salameh, who urged residents to use as little as possible. 

Amman says, according to an agreement d After the 1994 peace with his Neighbors, Israel is obliged to provide the kingdom with 55 million cubic meters of water annually free of charge. 

This year Jordan asked Israel to provide another eight million cubic meters of water. However, an agreement was reached to sell only three million cubic meters.To make up for the deficit, Jordan needs to pump from the water table, Salameh said.