AMMAN (Al Jazeera) – Jordan, a country that is largely desert, is already feeling the effects of climate change.
The second most water-scarce country in the world, Jordan is vulnerable to climate change that has increased as a result of inconsistent rainfall, higher temperatures, and an unexpected population increase following influx of Syrian refugees to the country.
Farmers in Jordan are facing the consequences of water scarcity, and are battling to confront them.
Samih Hashim, a farm owner in Ghor, north of the capital Amman, is at the front line of dealing with the crisis.
“As a farmer, I clearly see how the inconsistent rainfall and water scarcity affects our production,” Hashim told Al Jazeera. “We’ve had to reuse water and the production of vegetables and fruit has been significantly smaller.”
The agricultural sector in Jordan is especially vulnerable to climate change and water scarcity; 61 percent of cultivated land is fed through rainfall.
The problems facing Hashim, and Jordan, are being faced across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Temperatures in the region have risen by 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to an analysis of data from the last century, marking MENA as the region facing the gravest climate disaster in the world. According to the International Monetary Fund, climate disasters in the region have injured and displaced seven million people per year, and have caused more than 2,600 deaths and an estimated $2bn in physical damage.
This is the reason the first-ever MENA Climate Week took place March 28-31 in Dubai.
The event, organized by the United Nations and the World Bank, aimed to function as a platform for the region’s governments and civil society to discuss opportunities for enhancing climate change.
“In Jordan, we need a fair share of support, especially when it comes to water scarcity, and regional collaboration in order to get the help that we need,” said Omar Shoshan, the chairman of the Jordan Environmental Union, who attended the conference.
“I see the week only as an opportunity for the MENA region to focus more on our challenges and possibilities for collaboration – but it has been very informative and a good opportunity to start the dialogue,” Shoshan added.