Jordanians Protest against Water-for-Energy Agreement with Israel, UAE

On Friday, Amman, the capital city of the Jordanian Hashemite Kingdom, witnessed protests that included thousands of citizens rejecting the recently signed agreement between Jordan, Israel, and the United Arab Emirate (UAE) regarding water in exchange for energy.

The new agreement signed between Amman, Tel Aviv, and Abu Dhabi is the largest ever cooperation agreement between these countries, as it was announced at the "Dubai Expo" on November 22, in the presence of US climate envoy, John Kerry.

According to the agreement, "Israel will buy solar energy from a Jordan-based facility being built by an Emirati company, and Jordan will buy water from an Israeli desalination plant to be built on the Mediterranean coast."

Jordanians struggle on a daily basis to get their share of water, despite all attempts to rationalize and fight water thieves, in addition to the problem of a 20% decrease in precipitation across the country.

The per capita water share in Jordan has fallen to less than 100 cubic meters per year, which is considered among the lowest rates in the world, 88 percent lower than the global water poverty line of 1,000 cubic meters of water per person per year.

The volume of water demand exceeds the availability in Jordan by about 500 million cubic meters annually, which explains the water deficit experienced by the population.

Statistics issued by the Jordanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation indicate that about 70 percent of the country's water is lost due to theft, by a mafia that robs the stock, which includes 15 surface basins, 12 underground basins, and more than 300 wells.

However, the increased pressure and demand due to Jordan receiving a large number of refugees and the increase in population, constituted another factor for the crisis, in addition to the aging of networks and their exposure to wear and tear.

According to the Jordanian Ministry of Water, the general budget of Jordan loses about 365 million dollars annually due to the so-called lost water, which amounts to 47 percent.