Jordanian Minister of Water for Al Jazeera Net: These are the details of the energy-for-water agreement with Israel

AMMAN — Jordan's Minister of Water and Irrigation, Eng. Mohammed al-Najjar, is concerned about the impact of water losses on the water distribution program for 1.7 million subscribers, in a country that ranks as one of the most water-poor countries.

Water poverty and water losses have reduced the Jordanian per capita quota from 105 liters per day to 60 liters, prompting the ministry to adopt a national strategy to reduce water losses, which included the signing of several agreements with the aim of reducing losses by 2% annually to reach 25% by 2040.

Al-Najjar said, in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Net, that the energy-for-water agreement with the Israelis is still under feasibility study, and if the agreement is reached, it is expected to see the light in 2030, to provide Jordan with 200 million cubic meters of desalinated water, in exchange for exporting about 600 megawatts annually of electricity generated from solar energy from Jordan to Israel.

The agreement is likely to be 35 years old if negotiations between all parties (Jordan, the UAE and Israel) result in a satisfactory agreement on the price of a cubic meter of water.

The following is the text of the interview:

• Can you put us in a picture of the water situation in Jordan this year?

In fact, the water situation for this year is better than before, and this is related to the quantities of groundwater and surface water available, especially in dams due to the rainy season, in addition to the quantities of water purchased from the Sea of Galilee, and the per capita water share ranges between 105 to 110 liters per day, but the water loss reduced it to 60 liters per day.

• What about the national carrier's file, even if you explain to the reader its idea, and what are the latest developments about it?

The file of the national carrier is proceeding as planned, but there is a delay of about 9 months in the completion of the project, which will be completed in the second half of this year, and the financing of the project is distributed between grants, loans and the state treasury, and there are $ 800 million in grants, and government participation worth $ 350 million, in addition to investment and soft loans from international donor and lender institutions and banks.

5 coalitions have qualified, but we expect to settle on 3 offers at the beginning of July, to start the evaluation and selection phase, then negotiations with the coalitions for about 6 months, and then sign the agreement.

The national carrier project aims to desalinate 300 million cubic meters of Red Sea water in Aqaba, and transport it to the capital Amman through pumping stations in the Naqel line, to provide most Jordanian governorates with sufficient quantities of water, and there is a plan to redistribute the sources that supply the capital, Amman, so that there is a sufficient share for subscribers, in addition to providing the project with clean electrical energy, at an operational cost of about $ 450 million.

• You hosted representatives of the UAE and Israeli Energy Minister Karen Al-Harar to sign the declaration of intent, what is Jordan's share of water and how old is the agreement? And what will Jordan bear? And how much energy will be produced for water?

The proposed project includes providing Jordan with 200 million cubic meters of desalinated water, in exchange for Amman exporting about 600 megawatts of electricity generated from solar energy annually to Israel, and there are negotiations between the parties, the Emiratis and Israelis, with the participation of the United States as the supporter of this agreement.

Until now, we are still in the stage of studying the feasibility of the price per cubic meter of water, the time period and the financial and technical guarantees of both parties.

The agreement is likely to start in opposite directions in 2030, and the agreement may be about 35 years old, depending on the price per cubic meter, and there is no initial price, but the difference between what we want and the supply is large, and the negotiations aim to bring views closer.

• Is Jordan water-connected to Israel? Has Jordan regained its full water rights from Israel?

Jordan is not linked to anyone water, and depends on its internal sources, and if we are talking about the peace treaty, the two parties are committed to it, since its signing in 1994, and most of our water sources are internal in our territory, 80% of which are underground and 20% surface, and part of the surface water is our rights according to the peace agreement, in addition to that we have purchased additional quantities of the Sea of Galilee at 50 million cubic meters per year, ending this year.

Secretary General of Water: Wadi Al-Arab project is one of the strategic projects aimed at using surface water from the King Abdullah Canal in modern ways, to raise the efficiency of water supply in the northern regions, ensuring the improvement of water supply to more than 1.9 million people directly and indirectly #Petra #الأردن pic.twitter.com/F2Rl3KP31V

— Jordan News Agency (@Petranews) May 18, 2023

• There is talk on the Jordanian street that there are Israeli experts drilling 15 deep wells to explore for deep groundwater in Jordan, does this contradict the letter of intent, "electricity for water"?

Never, the search for new water sources is a continuous work for us, and there are international companies that conduct studies and attempts to explore deep water in some areas, and this is a continuous goal for us to secure new internal sources and it does not conflict with any other projects aimed at securing quantities of water.

• Experts in the water sector wonder why Jordan chooses alternatives with high financial costs and great political caveats to secure drinking water, such as buying water from Israel.

The main alternative is the National Carrier Project, but we are still in the process of exploring deep groundwaters, and there is a period of time for several years between the National Carrier Project seeing the light of day and the increasing immediate need for water.

Therefore, during the next five years, it is necessary to secure new sources so that there are additional sources of water, and they will be from deep groundwater, and we have begun to explore them, especially in the basalt basin in the northeast of the Kingdom.

• What about the water file with Syria, which has been greatly affected over the past years due to the conditions of the war there?

The situation is still the same, and there is still stagnation, despite the existence of contacts between the two parties, but the joint committee has not met since the beginning of the Syrian crisis in 2011, and the situation in Syria is still critical, and the quantities of water we get from the Unity Dam in Syria are modest, at a rate of 17 million cubic meters per year.

• Despite repeated official denials, there are those who confirm that the government is moving to raise water prices, by moving from the periodic bill to the monthly bill.

Currently, there is no lift, and the bill is a process that only converts from a quarterly bill to a monthly bill, and all segments will not be affected, but this does not prevent the bill from being reconsidered in the future.

• Are there Arab or international investments in water projects?

There are currently no Arab projects or investments in the subject of water, except for the Kuwait Fund in the study of dams, but as drinking water projects there is none, while there are huge international projects to reduce losses, and there is a first agreement signed worth $ 263 million with the US agency in 2019, and it is still in force, in addition to the signing of an agreement in the amount of $ 250 million several days ago, and there are very large projects related to water and sanitation, whether from the French agency, the German Construction Bank, or a bank European investment, EU or Korean agency.

The water sector is the largest sector that receives aid, loans and grants, and the water loss exceeded last year, both technical and administrative, 52%, so there are very large capital investments, there are 25% of the water consumed is not billed, and it is not paid, and we have plans to reduce losses by 2% annually, and we have allocated about $ 700 million for the next 5 years.

• Does the water file affect investment in Jordan, especially in agriculture?

Yes, it certainly affects its need for water, as we have several agricultural projects in the Jordan Valley, and the first project was put forward to rehabilitate approximately 12 kilometers of the King Abdullah Canal, at an estimated cost of $ 10 million, and there are two other projects in the northern part and the southern part of the King Abdullah Canal at a cost of more than $ 120 million, and this water aims to increase water savings by providing additional quantities, which will be reflected in improving the water situation in the Jordan Valley.

• What is the volume of external funding from grants and loans? What is its future impact on the water sector?

We will soon sign an agreement with the World Bank for about $ 300 million, and there are hundreds of millions under investment, and the financing reaches about $ 1.5 billion, but we still need more funding, to improve networks, expand and maintain them, reduce losses, build reservoirs, pumping stations and treatment plants, in addition to collecting and treating wastewater.

• What about the issue of underground wells, which we always hear about government steps about? We hear about wells that have been drilled and others that exist, and have not been closed, what is the truth of this file?

Now there are campaigns to fill violating wells, in multiple areas, as a result of the situation of groundwater, which suffers from great depletion, and backfilling operations continue in all areas in the Jordan Valley, in southern Amman, in the northeast of the Kingdom, and in the center, and has resulted in the backfilling of more than 83 violating wells out of about 500 wells, during the past 4 months, and there is a very great interest by the government in this file, and attacks on groundwater sources or on carrier lines, in order to preserve water groundwater, and the quantities of water used for drinking purposes in various regions.