A recent study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, warned that almost all low-income households will have access at some point to only 40 liters per day.

“The water management during the last six or seven decades has been crisis management,” said Elias Salameh, a former professor of hydrology and hydrochemistry at the University of Jordan, and a member of the Royal Committee on Water.

Groundwater levels are depleting, while all surface water resources are being utilized, so one of the ways is desalination, he said.

In July, Tel Aviv and Amman sealed an unprecedented deal for the sale of 50 million cubic meters to Jordan, doubling previous agreements.

“Importing water from Israel, it may serve for one or two years, said Salameh, but we should not depend on another country to guarantee water supply.”

pgh/iff/npg/arc