Kingdom’s major dams see 26% drop in water storage between 2023 and 2024 – ministry

AMMAN — Water storage levels in the Kingdom’s majordams have dropped by more than a quarter over the past year, according to newly released figures from the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

Official data shows that water stored in the Kingdom’s dams fell by 26.24 per cent between 2023 and 2024. Total storage reached approximately 118.7 million cubic meters in 2023 but declined to 87.6 million cubic meters in 2024.

The ministry’s report, cited by the government-owned Al Mamlaka TV, also highlighted an imbalance between water inflow and outflow. In 2024, around 219 million cubic meters of water was discharged from dams, while only 187 million cubic meters flowed in.

The Wahda Dam recorded a storage level of 1.33 million cubic meters, used for both drinking and irrigation. The Wadi Al Arab Dam held 5.54 million cubic meters, and the Ziqlab Dam stored 931,000 cubic meters, both allocated for irrigation.

In the north, the Kafranjah Dam stored 2.24 million cubic meters for drinking and irrigation, while the King Talal Dam, one of the largest in the country, held 31.1 million cubic meters, used for irrigation and electricity generation. The Karamah Dam had 22.6 million cubic meters.

Several dams were also cited for their roles in groundwater recharge. The Wadi Shueib Dam stored 247,000 cubic meters, while the Kafrein Dam held 3.45 million cubic meters, and the Zarqa Ma'in Dam stored 135,000 cubic meters. The Walah Dam contributed 1.69 million cubic meters to groundwater reserves.

In central and southern Jordan, the Mujib Dam stored 11.1 million cubic meters for irrigation and drinking purposes. The Tannur Dam held 5.2 million cubic meters, mainly for irrigation and industrial use. Other notable dams included Ibn Hammadwith 300,000 cubic meters, Faydan with 1.2 million, Lajounwith 50,000, Karak with 266,000, and Wadi Rahmeh, which stored 188,000 cubic meters, primarily for flood control and irrigation.

The country remains the most water-scarce in the world in the report, with annual per capita water availability at just 60 cubic meters, far below the global average of 500 cubic meters.