LEX-FAOC003406

The National Water Strategy 2016-2025 is a national cross-sectoral document, as it is focused on building a resilient sector based on a unified approach for a comprehensive social, economic and environmentally water sector development. Basic objective of this National Water Strategy is the sustainable management of water and sanitation for all Jordanians. To achieve the goal, the Strategy essentially covers the national water sector goals and approach through the five following key areas: (i) Integrated Water Resources Management; (ii) water, sewage and sanitation services; (iii) water for irrigation, energy and other uses; (iv) institutional reform; and (v) sector information management and monitoring. The Strategy also, in the last Chapter, rapidly addresses cross-cutting issues of climate change adaptation; trans-boundary/shared water resources; humanitarian WASH sector coordination; public/private partnerships; and the economic dimensions of water. Water management in Jordan, traditionally focused on supplying water for human consumption, should be considered in the context of other crucial resources, i.e., the production of food and generation of energy, hence the need for a better understanding of the water-food-energy nexus. In this context, Ministry of Water and Irrigation will build in coordination with other stakeholders a better understanding of the interdependence of water, food, energy and climate resources. Water security remains central to the concept of the nexus, because food and energy security cannot be achieved without it. Ministry of Water and Irrigation will put efforts to create incentives for agricultural water use which supports food security policy objectives. For this reason, the Strategy takes into account, other than domestic needs, the water required for food production, economic development and the protection and survival of vital ecosystems. For this to happen, the Strategy will borrow approaches, concepts and methods from complementary water user sectors in order to harmonize related strategic objectives as part of the national water strategy implementation. In order to make agriculture more productive and sustainable, the document proposes the following interventions, most of them aiming at increasing the use of unconventional and reclaimed water for industry and agriculture as much as possible in order to save fresh water for domestic use. The main interventions are: provide quality water and sanitation services to households and businesses (including agriculture) at the lowest practicable cost; adoption of different irrigation technologies which result in yield gains and water savings and reduce inefficient agricultural practices; discourage planting crops with high water requirements by imposing higher water tariffs on irrigated agriculture where highly water-intensive crops are being grown; introduce appropriate water tariffs and incentives in order to promote water efficiency in irrigation; fresh water allocated to irrigated agriculture in the highlands will be capped and eventually reduced, and would be replaced by treated waste-water, so that irrigated agriculture would be expanded mainly where treated waste-water is available; reduce losses and unproductive water use and shift cropping patterns to include increased production of higher-value crops; ensure the safety and exportability of produce grown with treated waste-water; establish a comprehensive risk management system to ensure the health of agricultural laborers and the productivity of the soils and hygienically safe production. To enable inclusive and efficient agricultural system, Ministry of Water and Irrigation will coordinate and lead the implementation of the water-related goals and targets, understand deeper of the available amounts, actual quality and natural protection of Jordan's water resources as a foundation for effective decision making, develop new partnerships with civil society and engage with all stakeholders through regular consultations in water sector project planning, thus building awareness and consensus among all stakeholders including the user groups and associations, the service providers, public corporations and private sector companies to regulatory and enforcement bodies, the private sector, local authorities, farmers' groups, civil society institutions, NGOs and community-based organizations. Major improvements needed would involve institutional and economic reforms in the sector, while is crucial to improve public awareness on water scarcity, particularly the costs incurred in water abstraction, treatment, transmission and maintenance of the water supply infrastructure. The stakeholders will be involved also in the process of monitoring and evaluation, supposed to be conducted every three years to ensure that the water sector is progressing in the intended direction. For increasing the resilience of livelihoods to threats and crises, the policy plans the following activities: verification and compliance assessment, audit and inspection, event assessment, and enforcement of corrective measures; Ministry of Water and Irrigation will build capacities to grasp financing for the Climate adaptation measures. In the context of Governance, the Strategy specifies that the national water sector would require a reworked governance strategy and institutional framework that rationalizes, consolidates and reorganizes the core governance functions for: (i) national policy and planning; (ii) management of operations and quality assurance; (iii) delivery of sustainable sector services; (iv) regulatory and normative functions; and (v) sector coordination and client interface. This in turn requires a revised organizational structure and a comprehensive water law that factors in the new realities facing the sector. The proposal for restructuring governance sector is indicated in: enhance fiscal discipline in cost recovery, improve internal efficiencies in sector coordination and management and build technical capacity to respond to national needs.