Balqa, Sept. 17 (Petra) -National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) on Thursday completed an assessment evaluating the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus across Jordan’s farming systems.
The initiative sought to support "sustainable" resource management and build agricultural resilience against acute water scarcity.
On its methodology, the study analyzed data from 300 farms across the Kingdom using a composite index designed to measure system performance and track interdependencies between water, energy, food, and environmental health.
The overall WEFE index averaged 0.42 on a scale of 0 to 1, placing most surveyed farms in the fragile-to-moderate sustainability bracket. Water emerged as the single most critical limiting factor to long-term sustainability.
NARC's findings showcased the need to improve irrigation and pumping efficiency, enhance groundwater and energy management, and address mounting challenges related to soil salinity, fertilizer application, and natural resource stewardship.
NARC and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) then gathered national experts, researchers, and development partners to review the study's results. The group prioritized immediate field interventions and mapped out actionable steps for execution.
The study moves Jordan from identifying agricultural bottlenecks to deploying evidence-based solutions.
As for its feasibility, the data will fuel on-the-ground pilot programs, improve support services, and ensure policymakers fund real farm-level priorities.
//Petra// HA
