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