JVA Implements 521 Water Harvesting Projects, Expands Storage Capacity

The Secretary-General of the Jordan Valley Authority (JVA), Hisham Hisa, announced that by the end of 2023, the number of water harvesting projects reached 521, with a total design storage capacity of 128.2 million cubic meters. In addition, the main dams have a storage capacity of 288 million cubic meters. In a statement by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation on Tuesday, Hisa emphasized the JVA's goal to expand water harvesting in rainfall areas to boost local development. This plan aims to rehabilitate nearby agricultural and pastoral lands, create favorable conditions for livestock, and alleviate pressure on groundwater wells by using harvested water for groundwater recharge and livestock watering. Hisa highlighted the significance of water harvesting as a primary source of water, stressing the ministry's focus on utilizing surface water by building and maintaining dams, ponds, and excavations. These initiatives reflect the ministry's commitment to addressing the challenges of drinking and irrigation w ater needs, which are critical priorities in Jordan, he added. He pointed out that 91 percent of Jordan's land is in arid areas with annual rainfall between 50-200 mm, while 2.9 percent of the land is semi-arid with 400-580 mm of annual rainfall. The remaining 5.7 percent receives between 50-300 mm annually. The annual rainfall in Jordan ranges between 5,800 million cubic meters in dry years to about 1,100 million cubic meters in rainy years, with an average of 8,522 million cubic meters. Around 92 percent of this evaporates, while groundwater wells are recharged with 240-294 million cubic meters, and about 713 million cubic meters becomes surface water. Source: Jordan News Agency