Jordan

Jordan Announces Summer Water Rationing Plan for Parched Kingdom
Associated Press, April 26, 2000

Jordan lacks the rivers of neighboring Israel, Iraq and Syria and the money of the oil-rich Gulf states for desalination. It receives part of its drinking water from Israel under a peace treaty signed in 1994. The kingdom has been facing severe water shortages since a mild drought hit the region three years ago. But the situation worsened in 1999 because of inadequate rainfall - the main source of water for drinking and farming. This year's rainfall has been 56 percent of its annual average - or 21percent more than in 1999. But the state says Jordan's six dams were only 33 percent full with 53 million cubic meters (1.86 billion cubic feet) of drinking water.

Syria Pumps Water to Jordan to Alleviate Drought
Associated Press, August 13, 2000

Syria began pumping water to Jordan on Sunday in an effort to help its neighbor make up for a severe shortage of drinking water due to a regional drought. In a ceremony attended by Safi Abu Dan, the governor of Dara'a, and Avadis Serkain, secretary-general of Jordan Valley, Syria began pumping from the Sahm-el-Jolan Dam, three kilometers (1.8 miles) from the Jordanian border. Some 60,000 cubic meters will be pumped daily for two months following an agreement made last month by the Syrian and Jordanian water ministers. Last year, from May to September, Syria provided Jordan with 8 million cubic meters of drinking water. A regional drought has left Jordan struggling with a water shortage for the past few years. The kingdom lacks the rivers of neighboring Israel, Iraq and Syria; it receives some drinking water from Israel under their peace treaty.