Rainfall replenishes Jordan dams

ALBAWABA - Jordan has received 1.151 billion cubic meters (bcm) of rain since the beginning of the season, constituting 14.1 percent of the annual rainfall average of 8.1 bcm, the Water Ministry said on Saturday. 

The northern governorate of Ajloun witnessed the highest rainfall over the past 24 hours with 33.8 millimeters (mm), while the capital Amman in the central region received 11.9mm.

Jordan is parched desert kingdom, which heavily depends on rainfall for water used for municipal and agricultural purposes. The kingdom, like several other parts of the Middle East, Europe and elsewhere in the world, has been battered by drought caused by climate change.

The water ministry said in a statement that rainfall was also recorded in other governorates. They included Balqa, which received 16.8mm, Jerash 11.3mm, Madaba 10.3mm, Irbid 9.1mm, Mafraq 6.1mm, Zarqa 4mm, Tafileh 2.2mm, Karak 0.8mm, Aqaba 0.3mm and Maan with 0.3mm. 

As of Saturday morning, Jordan’s dams received 624,500cm, distributed to Al Wihdeh Dam with 104,000cm, Wadi Al Arab with 9,000cm, Ziglab 13,900cm, Kofranjeh 44,800cm, King Talal Dam 337,800cm, Wadi Shuaib 35,400cm and Kafrain with 78,600cm, according to the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ).

Dams currently have 27.150 million cubic meters (mcm) of water, accounting for 9.7 per cent of their total storage of 280.759mcm, WAJ said.