Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Urban Transformations pp 93–115Cite as

Sustainable Transformation of Urban Water Infrastructure in Amman, Jordan – Meeting Residential Water Demand in the Face of Deficient Public Supply and Alternative Private Water Markets

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Future City ((FUCI,volume 10))

Abstract

Rapid urban growth processes pose severe challenges to the existing water infrastructure, particularly in developing countries (see Bedtke and Gawel, Chap. 3 in this volume). Responding to these challenges might exceed the scope of a gradual change and require a sustainability-oriented system transformation (Kabisch and Kuhlicke 2014). This chapter examines the prospects for such an urban transformation in Amman, the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, where the challenges of supplying water to all residents are particularly demanding. Since the year 2000, the population of the greater Amman municipality is estimated to have grown by more than one third (DOS 2014), and this trend can be expected to persist, due to continually high rates of immigration of Syrian refugees. In addition, Jordan is among the most water-scarce countries in the world (Yorke 2013) and is currently overexploiting its renewable groundwater sources by about 65% above the sustainable extraction rate (IRG 2015). Thus, making progress towards a more sustainable use of its freshwater resources is a matter of urgency. The pressing scarcity of water has led Miyahuna, the public water utility of Amman, to introduce a water quantity rationing scheme by which households only receive water for a limited number of hours per week, leading to perceived and actual water quality problems (supply interruptions can, e.g., lead to contaminant infiltration and the development of biofilms; see Hashwa and Tokajian 2004; Yorke 2013; Potter and Darmame 2010). Both the supply intermittency and the quality concerns have forced residents to intensify the use of various coping strategies (e.g., maintaining private storages, ordering private water tankers, purchasing bottled water), which further complicate any targeted steps to initiate a transformation of the public water supply system and water use patterns towards sustainability.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Notes

  1. 1.

    The other demand-side measures mentioned above: installing metering devices, improving the technical efficiency of household water appliances, and information and awareness campaigns, will not be addressed in this chapter.

References

  • Abu Amra B, Al-A’raj A, Al Atti N, Dersieh T, Hanieh R, Hendi S et al (2011) Amman water supply planning report, volume 3, appendices G & H. Report prepared by CDM for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI), and the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ). USAID, Amman, Jordan

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Najjar FO, Al-Karablieh EK, Salman A (2011) Residential water demand elasticity in greater Amman area. Jordan. J Agric Sci 7(1):93–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Altaf MA, Whittington D, Jamal H, Smith VK (1993) Rethinking rural water supply policy in the Punjab, Pakistan. Water Resour Res 29(7):1943–1954

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrews J (2015) Dr Hazim El-Naser – minister of water and irrigation, Jordan. The International Water Association’s the Source. http://www.thesourcemagazine.org/dr-hazim-el-naser-minister-of-water-and-irrigation-jordan/#. Accessed 14 Sept 2016

  • Bedtke N (2015) Transformationsprozesse und Institutionen – eine theoretische Perspektive für die Wasserwirtschaft. In: Gawel E (ed) Die Governance der Wasserinfrastruktur, Band 2: Nachhaltigkeitsinstitutionen zur Steuerung von Wasserinfrastruktursystemen. Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, pp 9–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonn T (2013) On the political sideline? The institutional isolation of donor organizations in Jordanian hydropolitics. Water Policy 15:728–737

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dalhuisen JM, de Groot HLF, Nijkamp P (2000) The economics of water: a survey of issues. Int J Dev Plan Lit 15(1):3–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dandy GC, McBean EA, Hutchinson BG (1984) A model for constrained optimum water pricing and capacity expansion. Water Resour Res 20(5):511–520

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DOS – Department of Statistics (2014) JorInfo 1.0 online database. DOS, Amman. http://jorinfo.dos.gov.jo/jordaninfo7.0/libraries/aspx/Home.aspx. Accessed 25 Jan 2016

    Google Scholar 

  • FDA/AFD – French Development Agency (2011) Jordan water demand management study. Report prepared for the Ministry of Water and Irrigation of Jordan (MWI). FDA/AFD, Paris, France

    Google Scholar 

  • Gächter S, Herrmann B, Thöni C (2004) Trust, voluntary cooperation, and socio-economic background: survey and experimental evidence. J Econ Behav Organ 55:505–531

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao E (2011) Do the buses run on time? Tribal diversity and public goods in Jordan. Paper presented at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Seattle, USA, 1–4 September 2011

    Google Scholar 

  • Gawel E (2016) Road pricing in Germany: a behavioral economics perspective. In: Beckenbach F, Kahlenborn W (eds) New perspectives for environmental policies through behavioral economics. Springer, Berlin, pp 237–251

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Gawel E, Bretschneider W (2016) Sustainable access to water for all: how to conceptualize and to implement the human right to water. J Eur Environ Plann Law 13:190–217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gerlach E, Franceys R (2009) Regulating water services for the poor: the case of Amman. Geoforum 40:431–441

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein J (1986) Full cost water pricing. J Am Water Works Assoc 78(2):52–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Grafton RQ, Ward MB (2008) Prices versus rationing: Marshallian surplus and mandatory water restrictions. Econ Rec 84:S57–S65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Green C (2003) Handbook of water economics: principles and practice. Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffin RC (2001) Effective water pricing. J Am Water Resour Assoc 37(5):1335–1347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffin RC (2016) Water resource economics, 2nd edn. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA/London

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffin RC, Mjelde JW (2000) Valuing water supply reliability. Am J Agric Econ 82(2):414–426

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hashwa F, Tokajian S (2004) Intermittent water supply and domestic water quality in the Middle East. In: Zereini F, Jaeschke W (eds) Water in the Middle East and in North Africa: resources, protection and management. Springer, Berlin, pp 157–166

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Humpal D, El-Naser H, Irani K, Sitton J, Renshaw K, Gleitsmann B (2012) Review of water policies in Jordan and recommendations for strategic priorities: final report. Report prepared for the Institutional Support and Strengthening Program (ISSP). United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington, DC, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • IRG – International Resources Group (2015) Strategic master plan for municipal water infrastructure: final report. Report prepared for the Institutional Support and Strengthening Program (ISSP). United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington, DC, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Kabisch S, Kuhlicke C (2014) Urban transformations and the idea of resource efficiency, quality of life and resilience. Built Environ 40(4):475–485

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalyanaram G, Winer RS (1995) Empirical generalizations from reference price research. Mark Sci 14(3):G161–G169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klassert C, Sigel K, Gawel E, Klauer B (2015) Modeling residential water consumption in Amman: the role of intermittency, storage, and pricing for piped and tanker water. Water 7:3643–3670 doi:10.3390/w7073643

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kubursi A, Grover V, Darwish AR, Deutsch E (2011) Water scarcity in Jordan: economic instruments, issues and options, The Economic Research Forum (ERF) working paper no. 599. ERF, Cairo

    Google Scholar 

  • Lancaster KJ (1966) A new approach to consumer theory. J Polit Econ 74(2):132–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madanat S, Humplick F (1993) A model of household choice of water supply systems in developing countries. Water Resour Res 29(5):1353–1358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MWI – Ministry of Water and Irrigation (2009) Water for life—Jordan’s water strategy 2008–2022. MWI, Amman

    Google Scholar 

  • Namrouqa H (2016) Authorities uncover theft of water equal to daily share of 48,000 people. The Jordan Times, April 18. http://jordantimes.com/news/local/authorities-uncover-theft-water-equal-daily-share-48000-people?platform=hootsuite. Accessed 14 Sept 2016

  • Nauges C, Whittington D (2010) Estimation of water demand in developing countries: an overview. World Bank Res Obs 25:263–294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OECD – Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (2009) Managing water for all: an OECD perspective on pricing and financing. OECD, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD – Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (2010) Pricing water resources and water and sanitation services. OECD, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Oelmann M (2010) Privatsektorbeteiligung als Lösung für unterfinanzierte Wassermärkte in Schwellen- und Entwicklungsländern? Korreferat zu Rahel Schomaker. In: Aufderheide D, Dabrowski M (eds) Effizienz und Gerechtigkeit bei der Nutzung natürlicher Ressourcen. Wirtschaftsethische und moralökonomische Perspektiven der Rohstoff-, Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft. Volkswirtschaftliche Schriften Heft 560. Berlin, Duncker&Humblot, pp 191–215

    Google Scholar 

  • Potter RB, Darmame K (2010) Contemporary social variations in household water use, management strategies and awareness under conditions of “water stress”: the case of greater Amman, Jordan. Habitat Int 34:115–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Potter RB, Darmame K, Nortcliff S (2010) Issues of water supply and contemporary urban society: the case of Greater Amman, Jordan. Philos Trans R Soc A Math Phys Eng Sci 368:5299–5313. doi:10.1098/rsta.2010.0182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg DE, Tarawneh T, Abdel-Khaleq R, Lund JR (2007) Modeling integrated water user decisions in intermittent supply systems. Water Resour Res 43:W07425 doi:10.1029/2006WR005340

  • Rosenberg DE, Talozi S, Lund JR (2008) Intermittent water supplies: challenges and opportunities for residential water users in Jordan. Water Int 33:488–504. doi:10.1080/02508060802474574

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schomaker R (2010) Wasserversorgung zwischen Staat und Markt – Das Beispiel Naher Osten. In: Aufderheide D, Dabrowski M (eds) Effizienz und Gerechtigkeit bei der Nutzung natürlicher Ressourcen. Wirtschaftsethische und moralökonomische Perspektiven der Rohstoff-, Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft. Volkswirtschaftliche Schriften Heft 560. Berlin, Duncker&Humblot, pp 191–215

    Google Scholar 

  • Sigel K, Klassert C, Zozmann H, Klauer B, Gawel E (2017) Impacts of private tanker water markets on sustainable urban water supply: an empirical study of Amman, Jordan. UFZ Bericht. UFZ, Leipzig

    Google Scholar 

  • Sima LC, Kelner-Levine E, Eckelman MJ, McCarty KM, Elimelech M (2013) Water flows, energy demand, and market analysis of the informal water sector in Kisumu, Kenya. Ecol Econ 87:137–144

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Tabieh M, Salman A, Al-Karablieh E, Al-Qudah H, Al-Khatib H (2012) The residential water demand function in Amman-Zarka Basin in Jordan. Wulfenia J 19:324–333

    Google Scholar 

  • Theodory G (2000) Willingness and ability of residential and non-residential subscribers in Greater Amman to pay more for water: a study conducted for the water authority of Jordan, Prepared for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Amman, Jordan: Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI). http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pnacq616.pdf. Accessed 25 Jan 2016

  • UN – United Nations General Assembly, 60th Session (2005) World summit outcome. Resolution A/RES/60/1, New York, USA, 24 October 2005

    Google Scholar 

  • WBWDRT – World Bank Water Demand Research Team (1993) The demand for water in rural areas: determinants and policy implications. World Bank Res Obs 8(1):47–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WCED – World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) Report of the world commission on environment and development: our common future. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Whittington D, Lauria DT, Mu X (1991) A study of water vending and willingness to pay for water in Onitsha, Nigeria. World Dev 19(2/3):179–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yorke V (2013) Politics matter: Jordan’s path to water security lies through political reforms and regional cooperation. Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) working paper no. 2013/19. NCCR, Bern, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  • Zawahri NA (2012) Popular protests and the governance of scarce fresh water in Jordan. Arab World Geographer 15(4):267–301

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeitoun M, Allan T, Al Aulaqi N, Jabarin A, Laamrani H (2012) Water demand management in Yemen and Jordan: addressing power and interests. Geogr J 178:54–66

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The chapter is part of a larger research undertaking in the Belmont Forum project “Integrated Analysis of Freshwater Resources Sustainability in Jordan ”, or Jordan Water Project (JWP) (see: https://pangea.stanford.edu/researchgroups/jordan/, accessed 25 January 2015). We would like to thank the entire JWP team for their valuable support.

This work was conducted as part of the Belmont Forum water security theme for which coordination was supported by the US National Science Foundation under grant GEO/OAD-1342869 to Stanford University. The authors of this work would also like to acknowledge support from the German Research Foundation. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding organizations.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany

    Christian Klassert, Erik Gawel, Katja Sigel & Bernd Klauer

Authors
  1. Christian Klassert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Erik Gawel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Katja Sigel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Bernd Klauer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christian Klassert .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urban and Environment Sociology, Helmholtz Centre for Environment Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany

    Sigrun Kabisch

  2. Department of Urban and Environment Sociology, Helmholtz Centre for Environment Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany

    Florian Koch

  3. Department of Economics, Helmholtz Centre for Environment Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany

    Erik Gawel

  4. Department of Urban and Environment Sociology, Helmholtz Centre for Environment Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany

    Annegret Haase

  5. Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environment Research-UFZ, Halle (Saale), Germany

    Sonja Knapp

  6. Department of Urban and Environment Sociology, Helmholtz Centre for Environment Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany

    Kerstin Krellenberg

  7. Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany

    Jaime Nivala

  8. Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany

    Andreas Zehnsdorf

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Klassert, C., Gawel, E., Sigel, K., Klauer, B. (2018). Sustainable Transformation of Urban Water Infrastructure in Amman, Jordan – Meeting Residential Water Demand in the Face of Deficient Public Supply and Alternative Private Water Markets. In: Kabisch, S., et al. Urban Transformations. Future City, vol 10. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59324-1_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59324-1_6

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-59323-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-59324-1

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation