Two weeks ago a statement by the Minister of Water and Irrigation caused havoc in the Jordanian society. By declaring that the government is "discussing" the option of increasing the prices for domestic water, the Jordanian consumer was hit with fear of yet another increase in the price of basic commodities. Indeed the threat of increasing the price of water is linked to a possible reduction in the consumers' purchasing capacity for the most essential element for life.

The global wave of liberalization of the water sector and de-regulation from the government has been such a drastic force in the past few years that has eroded the basic human rights to such commodities. The UN system acted swiftly to develop an international framework for protecting the human rights to water that can be applied in all countries and under various political, economic, social, environmental and cultural circumstances.

The international community has affirmed the human right to water in a number of international treaties, declarations and other documents. Most notably, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted in November 2002 a General Comment on the Right to water setting out international standards and obligations relating to the right to water.

The human right to water recognizes the essential nature of water for human life. It also highlights the fundamental nature of the problem: there is enough clean water for everybody but the poor, vulnerable and marginalized are denied equal and affordable access. The declaration included many indicators and guidelines that can be used to evaluate any country's capacity in meeting the requirements for the right to water. So, how can this framework be assessed in the Jordanian context?

One of the main indicators of the right to water is the availability of clean water for human consumption. Jordan is considered one of the ten most water scarce countries in the world, and the demand for water resources is on a continuous rise due to population growth and over exploitation, and pollution of available water resources.

Despite the scarcity of natural resources and the very low per capita water average share of 170 m³ annually, about 95% of the population of Jordan is served with public piped water supply. This supply is not reliable and continuous though, with an average of two days supply per week this has increased the demand on high price bottled water and tanker water for household use and thus more pressure on the household water bill.

The other indicator is linked with water quality.  In this aspect figures and statistics are variable. Independent assessments show that more than 50% of spring waters is contaminated with a high salinity level. Surface water is not adequate for drinking. More investments in water treatment plants are being developed with particular emphasis on brackish water desalination for drinking purposes and reuse of treated wastewater for agriculture.

Water affordability is considered to be an important indicator for the right to water. Domestic piped water prices are within the affordability of the Jordanian poor. The supply is not continuous and the water prices for bottled water and tanked water is 8-10 times more than piped water. Water supply is still considered as subsidized by the government and the price paid by consumer does not reflect the monetary cost of its demand management. Privatization of water supply networks and utilities had a minor impact on the economic affordability for consumers, but with increasing population growth and decreasing resources a bigger impact could be foreseen in the future.

Non-discrimination between rural and urban water supply is an indicator that reflects the equity within national water allocations. Water supply in rural areas in Jordan is only 8% less than urban areas. No significant geographical discrepancies are there. With increasing population and decreasing resources, a discrepancy in water rights between the rich and poor could be evident with privatization processes.

Agricultural practices add to water exploitation. Agriculture consumes 62% of available water resources and contributes to only 4% of the Jordanian economy based on GDP and monetary value analysis. Increasing agricultural water tariffs leaves traditional family farmers in a non-competitive state with modern industrialized farmers/investors. Stringent bylaws to monitor water abstraction from agriculture water wells cause unrest in farmer communities and are faced with a strong political and social resistance.

By surveying the current state of knowledge on water issues and policies in Jordan, it is clear that the vision and criteria of water rights as stipulated by the UN General Assembly in 2003 are not directly integrated into the Jordanian water policy, in theory.

Although the UN concept on the right to water is not integral to the Jordanian water policy, many of its criteria and objectives are being advocated by various institutions in the country. The great emphasis on water accessibility and continuous supply is considered to be the highest priority in the water sector in Jordan. Despite natural scarcity, regional conflicts and increasing population, Jordan has managed to supply around 95% of its population with piped drinking water.

        The concept of the right to water can be widely endorsed by the Jordanian public and   decision-makers as well. The country is facing a severe water shortage, and the government has already indicated in practice its commitment to bring water supply to all Jordanian citizens by investing highly in the water sector. The civil society, community and academic communities are taking water as an essential priority and the integration of the water rights concept would have a positive steering role for policy making and everyday activities and consumption behaviors as well. 

  It is recommended that a comprehensive assessment of the socio-economic dimensions of the right to water be done in Jordan, and a portfolio of suggested interventions be developed to monitor and support the integration of the water rights concepts in Jordan due to the high complexity of political, social, economic and environmental aspects of water resource management in the country.