Jordan: Rainwater Harvesting Quenches Thirst in the Southern Governorates
The “Building Resilience to Climate Change” Project Transforms Lives in the Southern Highlands
@FAO
11/11/2025
AL-Tafileh
In Al-Qadisiyah, Tafileh Governorate, Ibrahim Al-Salima, a man in his fifties, stands proudly before his new household rainwater cistern, watching the clouds gather in the sky.
With a hopeful smile, he says, “We receive water only once every 17 days, and even then, the flow is weak because we live in a high-altitude area. Now we’re ready for the rainy season and optimistic it’ll be a good one, we’ll fill the new cistern and use the water for household needs and irrigating our trees.”
Ibrahim is one of dozens benefiting from the project “Building Resilience to Cope with Climate in Jordan through Improving Water use Efficiency in the Agriculture Sector (BRCCJ)”, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in cooperation with the Ministries of Water and Irrigation, Agriculture, and Environment, along with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The project is funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
From Hardship to Hope
For years, families in the highlands of Tafileh have faced major challenges in accessing water: prolonged interruptions, weak pumping, and costly reliance on private water tankers.
But with the launch of the “Rainwater Harvesting” component under the resilience-building project, the situation is gradually improving.
Mohammad Al-Zayadeen from Buseira explains, “The water supplied by the municipality isn’t enough because of our elevation. Thanks to the project, we now have a 22-cubic-meter cistern to collect rainwater from our rooftop through simple gutters and pipes. Now we wait for the winter with confidence, knowing that we’ll benefit from every drop of rain.”
Community Impact: From Individual Experience to Collective Awareness
In Gharandal, Ibrahim Mohammad speaks about a major change in his family’s life:
“We receive water only once every 20 days and for just 24 hours. The cistern we received through the project has become a vital source of water in the summer for irrigating our fruit trees. After our neighbors saw the results, everyone wanted to apply for a similar cistern.”
These testimonials align with what engineers from the Ministry of Water and Irrigation have observed — an increased community awareness about the importance of rainwater harvesting as a practical, sustainable solution to water scarcity driven by climate change.
Small Infrastructure, Big Impact
Since the project’s launch, 114 household cisterns have been constructed in Tafileh Governorate as part of a broader plan to equip 400 public buildings and 7,850 households with rainwater harvesting systems in the Dead Sea Basin governorates — Tafileh, Karak, Ma’an, and Madaba.
Engineer Qais Al-Khaza’leh from the Ministry of Water and Irrigation notes that field teams conduct weekly site visits to monitor contractors’ work and ensure compliance with technical standards. He adds that all cisterns have undergone storage and leakage tests to guarantee their safety and sustainability.
Partnership for Climate Action
This project is part of Jordan’s vision for sustainable development and climate resilience, as the four governorates within the Dead Sea Basin are among the most water-stressed areas in the country.
With a total budget of USD 33.25 million, the initiative aims to strengthen the resilience of agricultural communities and improve water management efficiency in the face of climate challenges.
Tangible Progress Toward the Sustainable Development Goals
Through the construction of rainwater harvesting cisterns, the project contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Goal 15: Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.
Raining A Renewable Resource and Constant Hope
Abu Talal, a beneficiary from Qasabat Tafileh, says: “We used to buy water tankers every week to meet our household needs and water the trees around the house. Now we have a tank that passed all necessary inspections, and we’re eagerly waiting for the rain.”
In these villages, rain is no longer a fleeting event, it has become a source of life.
Through cooperation between local communities and national and international institutions, rainwater harvesting has turned into a Jordanian success story, inspiring other communities to face climate change with awareness, sustainability, and hope.