Jordan

Jordan and Syria have agreed that Germany carries out a hydrological study on the Yarmouk basin after Syria's refusal to provide Jordan with its water right from the Yarmouk River under pretext that the rain season this year was weak. A Jordanian official source said that negotiation between the parties have failed of approving 50 MCM from Yarmouk to be stored in Wehdah dam (100 mcm capacity). Jordan has managed to store only 8 million cubic meter and wishes to continue this year to store 50 mcm and continue storage next year. Jordan indicated that Syria has built 37 dams and dug 3500 wells in the basin that effected on the base flow of the yarmouk.

Johnston agreement in the early fifties estimated Yarmouk flow 440 MCM where Israel has been given 25 million and Syria was given 90 MCM and the rest to go to Jordan river. The Jordanian official source said Israel takes its share and stores it in tiberias, and Syria is getting twice of what has been allocated to under Johnston through dams. Before 50 years, the historical flow of Yarmouk was in the order of 5-7 cubic meter per second while currently its 0.7 cubic meter per second. The official source said that Jordan managed to store this year 126 MCM in its 10 dams 38% of the total capacity (337 mcm).

Jordan used to store part of its share in Lake Tiberia then it is pumped to Jordan through the conveyance pipeline according to the peace treaty signed between the two parties. The official source said that the Ministry of Water and Irrigation is currently working on preparing the water budget expected to be issued in April. The official source further declared that there is a clear deficiency in water quantities in particular drinking water and Jordan might need to borrow the required quantities from Israel as they did borrow 16 MCM last year. Since November last year, the Ministry stores a total amount of water in the main dams accounting to 30-40% of the total capacity of the dams as a strategic storage to be used during emergency and dry seasons.

Source: Ministry of Water & Irrigation