As exceptionally hot weather sweeps across Jordan this week, many farmers say they are expecting the worst, according to recent articles in the Jordan Times. Jordan, already among the world’s top 10 water-poor countries, is the only country in the Middle East to ration water year round. Now, with temperatures expected to soar as high as 41° C, many farmers worry there won’t be enough water available to ensure the survival of their crops. Yet in Jordan’s driest governates in the south thousands of farmers may find themselves better equipped to endure the heat wave. Thanks to a government programme supported by IFAD, more than 5,000 farmers have been collecting and storing rainwater during the wettest months in order to keep their crops alive at times like this. The IFAD-supported programme encourages farmers to collect rainwater by building cisterns and check dams, as well as stonewalls to reduce soil erosion and flash flooding. The innovative programme has been featured in a BBC World documentary as well as a recent episode of CNN World Report.
As exceptionally hot weather sweeps across Jordan this week, many farmers say they are expecting the worst, according to recent articles in the Jordan Times. Jordan, already among the world’s top 10 water-poor countries, is the only country in the Middle East to ration water year round. Now, with temperatures expected to soar as high as 41° C, many farmers worry there won’t be enough water available to ensure the survival of their crops. Yet in Jordan’s driest governates in the south thousands of farmers may find themselves better equipped to endure the heat wave. Thanks to a government programme supported by IFAD, more than 5,000 farmers have been collecting and storing rainwater during the wettest months in order to keep their crops alive at times like this. The IFAD-supported programme encourages farmers to collect rainwater by building cisterns and check dams, as well as stonewalls to reduce soil erosion and flash flooding. The innovative programme has been featured in a BBC World documentary as well as a recent episode of CNN World Report.
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