Jordan Is Running Out of Water, a Grim Glimpse of the Future - The New York Times

Jordan Is Running Out of Water, a Grim Glimpse of the Future - The New York Times: Choosing crops wisely and managing water are crucial for Jordanian agriculture as climate change accelerates. The sector once used about 70 percent of the country’s water supply, though it contributes relatively little to the gross domestic product. Use has decreased to around 50 percent, which Mr. Salameh, the government spokesman, cited as a promising indicator. But many farmers still focus on water-intensive crops that are becoming more difficult to grow. Khaireddin Shukri, 68, is a retired farm owner and a consultant who has long pushed for crops that require less water and bring in more money. He said the water issue revolves around planning and pointed to inefficient practices and waste. “It’s a country with huge potential but lack of management,” he said of Jordan. On a visit to a date farm that Mr. Shukri helps oversee, he showed off the crop that he has championed for years: Medjool dates, which can tolerate salty, lower-quality water, and garner high prices. Yields at farms in the area were small this summer because the fields received less water and what did come was saltier than usual. At one farm, they grew only half of the more water-intensive crops like eggplant