A Stagnant Crisis:
Examining Water Scarcity in Jordan through a Public Health Lens
by Ikran Sheikh-Mursal
Introduction
The Dead Sea, located on the border of Jordan, is the lowest place on earth. Recently, the Dead Sea has been of environmental concern due to the lake receding one meter each year. Current discourse surrounding water scarcity in Jordan highlights the fact that the Dead Sea is an important example of how water scarcity is a ramification of climate change. Much of the current literature and projects that examine water in Jordan deal with environmental factors and causes such as the shrinkage of the Dead Sea. However, I decided to highlight water scarcity in Jordan is not only an environmental issue but a public health issue as well.
Study Abroad
During the Spring of 2019, I studied abroad in Amman, Jordan through the CIEE Arabic Intensive Learning Program. For one of my classes, our assignment was to pick a pressing issue within Jordan and ask college students about their opinion on the topic. Due to my own curiosity, I decided to ask students about their perspectives on Jordan’s water scarcity and how rationing water impacts their day to day activities. The conversations left me wanting to further explore this topic; thus, this assignment developed into my capstone project. I set out to ask the question: how does water scarcity intersect with public health in Jordan?
Residential Water Storage Tank Amman, Jordan
Image taken by Ikran Sheikh-Mursal (2019)
Capstone Research
My project looks at two specific case studies about water scarcity and I apply the social determinants of health framework to analyze the findings of these two case studies. Arguably, the most significant issue affecting Jordan’s water shortage is the country’s rapid population growth. Jordan’s Department of Statistics conducted a national census in 2015 and concluded that the general population grew by 87% from 2004-2014. Additionally, the global average water consumption per capita is over 1,300 cubic meters, but this is only 150 cubic meters for Jordan’s residents.
How do factors like population growth and water consumption intersect with health and its risks and outcomes? Overall, my research argues that it is important to study the relationship between water scarcity and public health in order to identify vulnerable populations that are at significant risk. My research looked at two case studies that examined the effects of water scarcity on childhood diarrhea and water contamination. The first study looked at the incidence of diarrhea by examining water availability in rural Jordan. Rural residents are extremely vulnerable to waterborne diseases because the water supply is not consistent and there is an inequity of sanitation services between less populated rural cities and densely populated cities.
The second study specifically looked at two neighborhoods in Amman that are home to Palestinian refugees. Many of the women that were interviewed indicated that their main concerns were not having enough water and not being able to afford a new water supply when water ran out (Arar 1998). When water samples from this neighborhood were collected, there were high levels of contaminants that can result in waterborne illnesses if the water is consumed without boiling it (Arar 1998). Analyzing Jordan’s water scarcity through the social determinants of health framework highlights how factors such as income, status as a refugee, and education influence inequities such as inadequate water quality and quantity.
Importance to Public Health
It's important to highlight the role that public health education and messaging play in water scarcity. An important health messaging project that UNICEF and EcoPeace are currently implementing is WASH services in primary schools, which helps young students understand how to perform better hygiene practices and students are able to learn more about water scarcity in Jordan through art.
EcoPeace Middle East
USAID
Conclusion
Introducing younger residents of Jordan to the topic of water scarcity in creative and educational methods is important as it allows them to understand how this issue affects them and the place they live in. Statistics and literature that are predicting the future of Jordan’s water supply are alarming and future projects and studies need to keep in mind that water is essential to human health and their quality of life. There are vulnerable communities that are particularly impacted by the consequences of living in a water-scarce region, therefore, this research serves as a reminder of the need for improved water infrastructure in order to reduce health risks and improve outcomes.
Ikran Sheikh-Mursal
I am a first-generation college student majoring International Studies with a concentration in Community and Global Health and a minor Statistics. After Macalester, I plan to pursue an MPH in Epidemiology. My interests in public health are vaccine accessibility, infectious diseases eradication, and public health ethics.
Sources
Arar, Nedal. (1998). “Cultural Responses to Water Shortage among Palestinians in Jordan: The Water Crisis and Its Impact on Child Health.” Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.17730/humo.57.3.cg116q0581r51575.
Whitman, Elizabeth. (2019) “A Land without Water: the Scramble to Stop Jordan from Running Dry.” Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02600-w.
“WASH Working Group-Jordan.” (2019). UNHCR. UNHCR. Retrieved from https://data2.unhcr.org/en/working-group/53.
Header Credit: Ikran Sheikh-Mursal (2019)