Syrian refugee crisis Impact on Jordan Water-Wastewater Sector Eng. Khaldon Khashman Secretary General of ACWUA April 19,2016
Pre- conflict situation Jordanian water sector: Jordan is considered to be one of the four poorest countries worldwide in water resources. (120 m3/capita/year for the capital and 80 m3/capita/year for other cities far below the international recognized poverty line of 1000 m3/capita/year). Rationing system applied all over Jordan (supply one day per week) except Aqaba city. Competition between demands on limited renewable water resources quantities is ever increasing, created a severe water supply-demand imbalance.
Pre- conflict situation Jordanian water sector: The expanding population and the climatic and topographical conditions of the country have caused enormous pressure on the limited water resources. Available investment budgets not covering requirements to modernize water infrastructure and full implementation of wastewater re-use cycles. Draught conditions reduce the available water quantity by approx. 33% or 110 million m³/ year.
Development Syrian refugee crisis since March-2011 Facts - A Crisis on top of crisis -1 The Syrian refugees crises created real emergency conditions especially in Northern Jordan in which over half of the Syrian refugees are located in this area. Total Syrian influx about 1.30 million, out of which about 0.65 million are registered refugees (UNHCR figures of 2014). Only 100,000 living in camps (85,000 in Za atari camp, 15,000 in Azraq), rest in host communities. The increase in demand from the ongoing Syrian refugee population has impacted the amount and frequency of water available for Jordanians. Wastewater disposal increases pressure, both on sewerage systems and wastewater facilities.
Facts - A Crisis on top of crisis -2 Important groundwater aquifers endangered by pollution from the unregulated wastewater discharge (Za'atari camp) and very much increased extraction. The Syrians distribution in Jordan cities is not even, northern governorates are the mostly affected, thus the existing infrastructure on water supply and sewerage is completely overloaded and public health endangered as sewerage system covers only 30% of settlement area. Donor assistance concentrating on humanitarian response, only slowly growing for more sustainable, medium term projects, till today not covering needs.
Facts - A Crisis on top of crisis -3 The total yearly cost on the Jordanian government from the burden of the Syrian refugees on water and sanitation services is 600 USD per refugee per year. (Ref: Cost of hosting Syrian Refugees on water sector of Jordan Report ; The Fiscal Impact of the Syrian Refugee Crisis on Jordan Report). Emphasis during first year of refugee crisis focused on water supply, wastewater disposal neglected. New wells were drilled by Aid Agencies to serve only the Refugee Camps with drinking water thus adding more problems to the ground water scarcity. The National Resilience Plan (NRP) for the period 2014-2016 foresees a water sector investment of 750 million USD. Jordan Response plan 2015 Has received only about 36% of the needed resources.
Actions and priority needs The Ministry of Water and Irrigation, donors and aid agencies agreed to conduct a study of the Syrian Refugees crises effect on the water and sanitation sectors and priority needs in the hosting communities. UNICEF was requested as a neutral body to conduct this study. The study was based on data from: UNHCR: (Registered Syrian Refugees figures per municipality and the 4 refugees camps dated July 2015). Department of Statistics: (population figures, Poverty levels on municipally levels) Water Authority of Jordan and water companies: (water average consumption from billing systems, normal required demand as per Jordanian standards in MWI, deficit of normal demand before crises effect, Jordanian population figures served by water and waste water networks, Municipalities served and not served by sewer networks and WWTP recent figures). Ministry of Municipalities and Rural Affairs: GIS data for municipalities. These files were used by the UNICEF study and UNHCR. The study results confirmed the real need and the big burden on the water and waste water services in hosting municipalities, mainly in the northern and middle governorates
Indicators considered to prepare the priority needs for Host Communities due to the Syrian refugee crises Sanitation Needs Indicators for served municipalities: 1. Poverty Percent at Municipality Level, 2. Percent of Syrian refugees to Jordanian population in host communities, 3. Municipal Population not served by Sewer Networks in percent, 4. WWTP actual load / design load - risk level reflected on served municipalities 5. Total population in host communities (Jordanians and Syrian refugees) 6. Served municipalities with additional sanitation needs. Planned network projects that are not implemented yet but under study or tendering stage. 7. Age of the sewer networks based on the WWTP. Indicators for unserved municipalities: 1. Poverty Percent at Municipality Level, 2. Percent of Syrian refugees to Jordanian population in host communities, 3. Municipal Population not served by Sewer Networks in percent, 4. Total population in host communities (Jordanians and Syrian refugees) to be served 5. Not served municipalities sanitation study status
Jordan Response Plan (JRP) 2016-2018 Results of the study for the water and the sanitation sectors were used to prepare the Jordan Response Plan (JRP) 2016-2018 JRP has been prepared jointly with international agencies. The cost of water intervention for the three years amounts to 750 million USD
Water Services Priority needs - Maps Distribution of Jordanian population predictions 2013 on municipalities Refugees distribution over the municipalities in Percent Deficit of water needs (Demand according to standard versus average consumption Priority needs for water services after the crises Priority needs for water services Northern & Middle Governorates Sanitation Services Priority needs - Maps WWTP Actual Load Versus Design Load Risk Level Municipalities Served with Sewer systems - priority needs for sanitation services Municipalities not served with sewer systems - priority needs for sanitation services Ground Water Basins Protection from Pollution Municipalities Served with Sewer systems - priority needs Northern and Middle Gov.
Recent population Census Updates Department of Statistics of Jordan (DOS) conducted and comprehensive population census on the Jordanian Soil in November 2015. The first aggregated results were announced February 2016. These results showed even a more critical situation as it showed the total None Jordanian Population who are residing in Jordan for different reasons but mainly due to unrest in their countries. Main nationalities were: Syrians, Egyptians, Palestinians, Iraqis, Yemenis and Libyans. The presented UNICEF study results were based on 650 thousand Syrian refugees within host communities according to UNCHCR (Lack of official figures of Syrian Refugees distribution on host communities), while the recent Comprehensive Census of November 2015 showed that double of this figure are living in Jordan within host communities and mainly in the North and Middle governorates. The impact of the Syrian Refugees Crises is more than predicted based on UN organization figures. A revised study shall be conducted based on the results of November 2015 Census.
November 2015 Census First Results Distribution of Jordanian and non-jordanian population for 2015 by Governorate Governorate Jordanian Non-Jordanians Total Numbers Ratio Numbers Ratio to Jordanian population Numbers Amman 2,554,923 38.63 1,452,603 49.78 4,007,526 42.04 Ratio to total residents in Jordan Balqa 396,939 6 94,770 3.25 491,709 5.16 AL-Zarqa 923,652 13.97 441,226 15.12 1,364,878 14.32 Madaba 156,787 2.37 32,405 1.11 189,192 1.98 Irbid 1,316,618 19.91 453,540 15.54 1,770,158 18.57 Mafraq 314,164 4.75 235,784 8.08 549,948 5.77 Jerash 167,751 2.54 69,308 2.38 237,059 2.49 Ajloun 157,162 2.38 18,918 0.65 176,080 1.85 Karak 272,449 4.12 44,180 1.51 316,629 3.32 Tafeileh 90,108 1.36 6,183 0.21 96,291 1.01 Ma'an 127,989 1.94 16,093 0.55 144,082 1.51 Aqaba 135,045 2.04 53,115 1.82 188,160 1.97 The kingdom 6,613,587 2,918,125 44.12 9,531,712 30.61
November 2015 Census First Results Percentage Distribution of the population of non-jordanian nationalities by governorate, 2015 Governorate Palestine Syria Egypt Iraq Yemen Libya Other Total of non- Jordanian Amman 48.58 34.42 61.39 93.11 86.7 95.37 74.85 49.78 Balqa 2.69 2.21 6.66 0.95 0.68 0.19 2.96 3.25 AL-Zarqa 29.93 13.85 9.47 3.01 2.13 0.38 5.7 15.12 Madaba 0.8 1.16 1.7 0.45 0.46 0.24 0.56 1.11 Irbid 5.27 27.14 8.64 1.5 5.85 2.61 8.76 15.54 Mafraq 1.33 16.43 2.56 0.55 0.68 0.25 1.13 8.08 Jerash 8.46 0.86 0.7 0.04 0.03 0.03 0.14 2.38 Ajloun 0.05 1.15 0.58 0.04 0.16 0.02 0.15 0.65 Karak 0.23 1.35 3.03 0.18 0.72 0.09 2.99 1.51 Tafeileh 0.02 0.15 0.61 0.02 0.45 0 0.06 0.21 Ma'an 0.11 0.67 0.84 0.05 1.1 0 0.63 0.55 Aqaba 2.55 0.62 3.83 0.12 1.03 0.81 2.08 1.82 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 The kingdom 634182 1265514 636270 130911 31163 22700 197385 2918125
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