Graduation Year

2021

Date of Submission

5-2021

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

International Relations

Reader 1

Jennifer Taw

Abstract

Among the top-five most water-scarce countries in the world is the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Jordan), a 34,495 square mile arid country in the middle of the Arabian Desert. This paper will examine how Jordan is addressing water scarcity now and how it might adjust its strategies, as water scarcity is predicted to get even more severe. The stress on Jordan’s already very limited water supply, for example, has been steadily increasing as the country absorbs refugees, who now account for approximately ten percent of the population as a direct result of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (2.2 million refugees)[1], the US invasion of Iraq (67,000), the Syrian Civil War (655,000), and the Yemeni Civil War (15,000)[2].

Jordan’s ability to withstand this drastic increase in demand on its already at-risk water-scarce conditions has been impressive, however the government will need a more resilient model if it hopes to avoid domestic conflict. To meet demand for water, Jordan will rely mostly technological, societal, and political adjustments to sustain a high-enough volumetric supply of water to address the needs of the population and industry. Moreover, determining the resiliency of Jordan’s water system could potentially help the country to serve as a global model as conditions worsen elsewhere and near or surpass the water stress that Jordan currently experiences.

[1] “Jordan,” UNRWA, accessed October 22, 2020, https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan.

[2] “UNHCR Continues to Support Refugees in Jordan throughout 2019 – UNHCR Jordan,” accessed October 9, 2020, https://www.unhcr.org/jo/12449-unhcr-continues-to-support-refugees-in-jordan-throughout-2019.html.

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This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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