AMMAN, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Speeding up the implementation of Jordan's major water desalination plant is of paramount importance in protecting Jordan's water security, as the country shows a decline in per capita share of water, experts have said.
On Jan. 10, Jordan received a proposal from the Meridiam Suez consortium to implement the Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance Project, which entails desalinating and transporting 300 million cubic meters of freshwater from the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea to all regions of the kingdom, an official at the Ministry of Water and Irrigation told Xinhua on Thursday.
"The offer will be studied both technically and financially," the official said. "A technical committee has started looking into the offer that we received, and we hope that a decision will be made in the near future."
The source said the project is considered an option to secure sustainable additional water supplies, adding that the project will rely on renewable energy as part of the national energy strategy to generate 31 percent of electricity from renewable sources by the year 2030.
"The project is vital to us as Jordan is one of the poorest countries in terms of water per capita share in the world," said the ministry's official.
According to the ministry, Jordan's annual per capita share stands currently at around 67 cubic meters per year, well below the international poverty line of 1,000 cubic meters per year.
The country consumes 1.115 billion cubic meters of water annually, including 420 million cubic meters of drinking water. The rest is distributed for irrigation, industry, and other sectors, the ministry added.
The global water index showed that Jordan is among one of the most water-deprived countries worldwide, estimating its water needs at 3 million cubic meters daily for all uses.
"Jordan has resorted to treating wastewater and almost every drop of waste water is being reused in Jordan," said Rana Haj Abed, an environmentalist and media professional specializing in environment and water.
"There has been a severe decline in precipitation over the years due to climate change, and all these factors require speeding up the national desalination project," Abed said.
"To protect Jordan's national water security, the project is a must, and it needs to be implemented faster," she added.
According to the ministry's official, the project is expected to be completed in late 2028.
Wajdi Makhamreh, an economist, echoed the remarks, saying that Jordan currently is facing mounting challenges and has resorted to many options to secure its water needs.
"This national project is a major solution at this stage and it will have economic benefits to the entire economic sectors," he said.
To meet its needs, Jordan resorts to buying around 50 million cubic meters of water from Israel annually, in addition to the 50 million cubic meters of water that it gets from Israel under the peace treaty signed between the two sides in 1994.
"Ensuring that there are no water disruptions is vital for tourism, mining, industries and all sectors in Jordan. This is the most strategic project in the water sector in Jordan," he added.
Several local and regional media outlets, including Al Jazeera, have reported that Israel is considering not to renew its water deal with Jordan once it ends by 2024.
