Jordan’s northern governorates, where water demand increased by 40% over the past seven years, are set to receive additional water to ease an expected surge in demand during Ramadan and the summer, the Jordan Times reported Thursday (May 17th).
“The northern governorates have started receiving a total of 1,200 cubic metres of water per hour from a combination of different sources," said Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) secretary general Iyad Dhayat.
"The additional amount seeks to address water shortage and an expected rise in demand in the north,” he said.
WAJ, an affiliate of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, is targeting the north because the region suffers acute water scarcity as it hosts the majority of the Syrian refugees in Jordan, he said.
With more than 1.4 million Syrian refugees, demand for water has increased, especially in the north, where the water per capita share has dropped by half since Syrian refugees began arriving in the country, according to the ministry.
