Before the world was hit with the novel Coronavirus, also referred to as COVID-19, climate change was the focal shared discussion point among the world’s leading countries after witnessing firsthand the rise in extreme weather events around the globe that are believed to be taking place due to a global rise in temperatures.  Jordan, which has been witnessing these changes with increased frequency over the years, whether it is the shrinkage of the Dead Sea or flash floods, Jordan’s very own water crisis that is creating a domino effect on its agriculture and livestock. Jordan’s public and private sectors should go hand in hand to tackle these challenges and mitigate the risks and threats associated with climate change.

According to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN) index for climate vulnerability (1 being least vulnerable), in 2019 Jordan is ranked 48th out of 191 countries. However according to Knoema (the most comprehensive source of global decision making in the world), Jordan’s network readiness ranking, which measures a country’s ability to leverage investments and convert them to adaptation actions, is 64th with a value of 4 (7 being the best). The readiness ranking is an alarming indicator of the economy’s ability to address the threats associated with climate change.

Jordan is one of the driest countries in the world; and climate change is exacerbating the water issues that are facing the country.  The water sector will need to brace for the impacts already being felt and expect a worsening of the situation. Reduced water availability, higher temperatures, less precipitation decreasing recharge of groundwater aquifers, increased intensity of droughts that deplete water reservoirs, and increased demand due to the influx of refugees and a growing population are all adding pressure to the already scarce water resources.

Project developers can capitalize and improve the country’s water supply by encouraging the development of water crisis relieving projects, such as groundwater injection using reverse-osmosis. It has been seen in countries such as the Netherlands, and can also be powered through solar energy, especially in countries with high irradiance levels that can have a tremendous bearing in terms of solar electricity generation. Declining water levels accompanied by the rise in temperature is bringing a steep decline in the nourishment of pasturelands, which further aggravates the harm done to the farmer’s market.  Water injection would improve agriculture yields and also have a domino effect on the country’s livestock production, which represents 58% of agricultural GDP.

The Government of Jordan is to be praised for its swift mitigation actions and has been playing an active role in developing policies and legal frameworks that can improve climate change mitigation actions in the country. However, few mitigation measures can provide the adaptive capacity needed to solve for the water scarcity impacts of climate change. There have been some quick wins such as determining water allocations, and water conservation programs which are easing the effects; however more innovative, technological solutions are needed. Similar to the fight the world is waging against COVID-19, the country must unite, public and private sectors, science and civilian organizations with project developers to preserve and recharge the country’s scarce water resources for future generations. Rest assured, just as the world is going to surpass this pandemic, I believe Jordan, possibly with water injection technology, will find a vaccine to relieve its climate challenges.