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Cisterns, wells and water channels can still be seen scattered across the historic Nabataean site of Petra today |
This 1st century BC description of the life of the Nabataeans in the Jordanian desert shows that water scarcity in this part of the world is nothing new. Already two thousand years ago survival in this harsh climate depended on the ingenuity and inventiveness of the local population. Part of the strength of the powerful Nabataean civilization that thrived from the 6th century BC to the 3rd century AD lies in their refined water management system.
Walking through the extensive ruins at the historic Nabataean site of Petra today, one can still see the cisterns, wells and water channels scattered across the site. Today tourists see these Nabataean water works as mere curiosities, but many Jordanians are coming to realize that these relics of the past also hold relevant messages for the present. For just as the Nabataeans developed a refined system of collection and storage devices to make use of every drop of water, the current water crisis in Jordan means every option has to be considered
Modern-Day Jordan's Water Crisis
Indeed, the Desert Kingdom did not earn its name for nothing, and except for the water from the Jordan River and its tributaries – which the Hashemite Kingdom shares with Israel and Syria – the country relies entirely on scant rainfall and groundwater reserves.
The effects of this natural scarcity have been compounded by a sharp increase in population figures over the last 50 years, making Jordan one of the ten poorest countries in the world in terms of water resources [1]. Water scarcity is an undeniable part of life here and everyone in Jordan feels its impact with citizens receiving just 24 hours of water a week. Agriculture, the largest consumer of water throughout the region, has also been curtailed and still, the situation is precarious: all the reserves are stretched to their limit, forcing the country to turn to alternative sources such as desalinated water and treated wastewater
Treated wastewater for the irrigation of agricultural crops is being used more and more frequently, not only in Jordan but throughout the Middle East. Domestic wastewater from kitchens, gardens and bathrooms – not from toilets – is processed and recycled to make it fit for use in agricultural settings.
Recycled Water Brings Prosperity to Wadi Musa
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| Wadi Musa wastewater treatment plant |
Near the ruins of Petra in southern Jordan, this new technique is now being applied to treat the wastewater from Petra’s many tourist facilities and provide water to local farmers. Thus, today Petra does not only bring an income to the tourist business, but also, indirectly, to the agricultural sector.
The Wadi Musa Reuse Project – a joint initiative of the Jordanian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and the American donor agency USAID – produces 1.25 million cubic meters of agricultural water a year, providing freshwater for the irrigation of 1,070 dunums [2] of land. Initiated in September 2002, the scheme is already bearing its fruits: local farmers are cultivating a wide variety of crops including barley, sorghum and vegetables
Her Highness Sharifa Zein Bint Nasser, the head of development for the Royal Hashemite Court and one of the project’s initiators, explains that this is the first time any such initiative has been undertaken in the Middle East. “This is a groundbreaking project: it is the first time that treated wastewater is being used by local Bedouin tribes. We very much hope that the project will serve as an example to the whole country,” she says. She explains that what makes the project at Wadi Musa unique is not so much the use of treated wastewater, but the fact that local farmers are being directly involved in its use.
Near the main site there is a small demonstration area where a wide variety of plants, trees and flowers are being grown; they were all selected to resist the arid climate of Wadi Musa and are irrigated by drip irrigation, ensuring efficient water use.
Bedouin Tribe Embraces Project
HH Sharifa Zein says that it was partly thanks to the creation of this demonstration area that the local Bedouin tribe, the Ammariin, embraced the idea of using treated wastewater for irrigation. “In the beginning they all saw the wastewater treatment plant as an awful and ugly thing, a building that stank. And the treated wastewater that flowed from the plant through the valley was left untouched; the farmers wouldn't even let their livestock drink it… To them the water was impure and haram, and they believed that any animal that had drunk it would become impure and be unfit to sell at the market,” she says.
She recalls that it took “hundreds of cups of tea and coffee and night upon night of sitting in tents and discussing the project with the community”, before the local farmers of the Ammariin tribe accepted the idea of treated wastewater. “We showed them examples in which treated wastewater had been successfully used for the irrigation of crops in Tunisia. And we were also able to show them a fatwa that had been issued by scholars at Al Azhar University in Cairo, approving the use of treated wastewater for the irrigation of crops. Once they saw the results of the demonstration site they were really convinced: now we have managed to make them see that water is valuable, that it is not just a commodity to be looked down upon and that even this treated water is a precious resource.”
The land on which the treatment plant stands is today owned by the government, but in the past it belonged to the Ammariin tribe. They are therefore the main beneficiaries of the project, and the tribe has been organized in a cooperative of 200 members, with men and women partaking as equal shareholders. “The fact that women are given equal say in the day-to-day management and running of the project is another unique feature of the project,” says HH Sharifa Zein. She explains that the tribe elders were initially reluctant to allow women to participate in such a manner, but they have now also come to see the benefits.
Ismail Twaissi, the agricultural engineer in charge of the project, is very pleased with the results at Wadi Musa. “We really hope to change the lives of local farmers with this project. Before they had to wait for rain, with this project they know they will have a reliable and steady supply. We can already now see the difference,” he says.
Besides having to get used to the concept of treated wastewater, Twaissi explains that there were many things the farmers had to learn in the initial phases. “The farmers often don't know how to deal with the new crops they are planting,” he explains. “They don’t know when to sow them and when to harvest them; how to apply the right amounts of fertilizer. They also needed help with the use of the drip irrigation system; they had never used this before. There is a lot for them to learn.”
While animal fodder is the principal crop now, Twaissi points out that a variety of trees have also been planted – both in the demonstration site and on the individual plots. Native trees such as juniper, pistachio, almond and olive have been reintroduced with the aim of restoring plant diversity in the region and combating desertification.
Spin-off Projects Develop
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| Wadi Musa desert turns green |
While the project is barely a year and a half old, members of the cooperative are already so pleased with the results that they are starting to take initiatives to increase the value of the project. The farmers had the idea of selling their produce,mainly animal fodder, to farmers from other tribes. They are now planning to build a storage facility on the site and hold weekly market days to sell their crops in the area.
Since the end of 2003 there is also a small greenhouse in the demonstration area, where four women tend to a variety of cut flowers. These will soon be sold to the larger hotels in Petra and Aqaba, generating an additional income for the cooperative. Hajja Amal, one of the young women working in the greenhouse, is very pleased with her new job. “Before this I never worked; with this new job I feel I am learning a lot. My work is also useful: both for the community and for my family,” she says.
“Already the wastewater treatment project is generating spin-off projects. Over time all these projects will start generating their own income and become sustainable,” comments HH Sharifa Zein. But she cautions, “We have to beware that we don't spread ourselves too thinly; the projects must be built up gradually.”
Nevertheless, she already has ideas for the next project: the cultivation of herbal plants. The valleys around Petra harbor many rare species of medicinal plants and herbs and HH Sharifa Zein believes that this could be another project for local women: the development of the herb garden which could form an additional tourist attraction in Petra and at the same time provide a source of income to the Ammariin cooperative.
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