Amman, July 2 (Petra) — Minister of Agriculture Saeb Khraisat
underlined Thursday that climate change, particularly drought, has
escalated from an environmental challenge into a strategic national
issue directly tied to Jordan’s water security, food security, and
socio-economic stability.

Speaking at the opening workshop of a Japan-backed initiative titled
“From Scarcity to Sustainability: Building Adaptive Interventions to
Address Drought in Agriculture – Climate Adaptation and Enhancing
Jordan’s Drought Resilience,” Khraisat noted that Jordan is actively
countering these impacts by shifting from crisis management to a
proactive, integrated national approach focused on long-term drought
risk mitigation.

The government, he noted, continues to expand its water resource
infrastructure, with the Kingdom’s rainwater harvesting facilities
now totaling 570 structures with a capacity of 95 million cubic
meters. The Ministry of Agriculture has implemented 300 of these
projects, securing 36 million cubic meters of storage, while
additionally funding 3,683 household harvesting wells to support
rural communities.

Furthermore, Jordan is scaling up the safe utilization of treated
wastewater, recycling approximately 200 million cubic meters annually
in compliance with rigorous national standards to alleviate pressure
on freshwater reserves.

Khraisat said the ministry is enhancing agricultural productivity and
water-use efficiency by expanding modern and smart irrigation
systems, digital transformation, remote sensing technologies,
artificial intelligence and geographic information systems.
Agricultural investments, he added, are also being directed toward
water basins with sustainable extraction rates to optimize water use,
maximize economic returns, and preserve groundwater reserves.

To bolster sector preparedness, the ministry is implementing
climate-smart agriculture programs, expanding hydroponics and
protected agriculture, and introducing drought-tolerant crop
varieties. These efforts are reinforced by early warning systems,
agricultural research, plant genetic preservation via the National
Center for Agricultural Research’s seed bank, a comprehensive
national agricultural map, and the operationalization of the
Agricultural Risk Management Fund.

Khraisat said the ministry is implementing sustainable rangeland
management programs covering more than 80 million dunams. The
initiatives include developing rangeland reserves, rehabilitating
vegetation cover and establishing water sources for pastoral
communities, contributing to efforts to combat desertification,
enhance biodiversity and support sustainable livestock production.

Khraisat warned that Jordan is already experiencing measurable
climate change, including steadily rising temperatures. Climate
projections indicate temperatures could increase by between 1.7 and
3.2 degrees Celsius by 2100, accompanied by a roughly 15% decline in
rainfall, more frequent droughts and increasingly severe extreme
weather events, including flash floods and heat waves exceeding 42-44
degrees Celsius in some areas.

He stressed that drought-related challenges extend beyond national
borders, calling for stronger international cooperation, greater
knowledge and technology exchange, expanded climate financing,
increased investment in scientific research and innovation, and
stronger partnerships among governments, international organizations,
the private sector and local communities to build more resilient and
sustainable agricultural and food systems.

He said the launch of the project comes at a critical time as climate
challenges intensify globally and regionally, describing the
initiative as a platform for strengthening international cooperation,
exchanging expertise and developing evidence-based policies to
support a more resilient agricultural sector and enhance water and
food security.

The project seeks to promote climate-smart agricultural practices in
drought-affected communities in northern Jordan. Its activities
include distributing agricultural inputs, establishing demonstration
sites for climate-smart practices, and strengthening institutional
capacity in drought preparedness and water resource management.

Khraisat concluded by expressing gratitude to the Government of Japan
for funding these climate adaptation projects, reiterating Jordan’s
commitment to sustainable resource management and converting
environmental challenges into economic opportunities aligned with
national development visions.

//Petra// AJ