Roundup: Climate pressures mount on Jordan Valley's vital farmlands

AMMAN, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's agriculturally-critical Jordan Valley, once renowned for its year-round bounty, now faces existential strain as shorter rainy seasons and intensifying heatwaves erode harvests, local farmers and experts said recently.

Veteran farmer Nawash Al Yazjeen, cultivating in the valley since 1989, witnessed his irrigated land halved by relentless climate shifts such as prolonged heatwaves and reduced rainfall.

"This has pushed many farmers deeper into debt," he told Xinhua, citing soaring input costs, including fertilizers and labor, against falling crop prices.

Raed Rafed, director of the Jordan Meteorological Department, told Xinhua that Jordan is witnessing "a rise in the number, intensity, and duration of heatwaves" over the last 10 years.

"In 2020 alone, we recorded five heatwaves, the highest in our meteorological records," Rafed said. "By the end of the century, some regions in Jordan could face more than 40 days annually with temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius."

Seasonal rainfall has dropped by an average of 0.6 mm per season, with the 2024/2025 season expected to be Jordan's driest since 1978/1979, he added.

According to a report co-issued by Jordan's Environment Ministry and the United Nations Development Programme in 2023, Jordan is expected to experience a gradual rise in temperatures, a significant decline in annual rainfall, and more frequent extreme weather events in the coming decades.

It also warned of compounding threats such as flash floods from concentrated downpours, prolonged dry spells exceeding 30 days, and up to 20 percent soil moisture loss.

"Yields for crops such as wheat, citrus, and vegetables are declining due to heat stress, while rangelands that once supported months of grazing now offer fodder for just a few weeks," Omar Shoshan, president of the Jordan Environment Union, told Xinhua.

Irregular rainy seasons and more frequent heatwaves disproportionately impact rural communities, where over 25 percent live below the poverty line, Shoshan said, noting that smallholder farmers and pastoralists, particularly women, are among the most vulnerable.

These climate pressures are forcing migration to cities and deepening reliance on volatile food imports, Shoshan said.

While drip irrigation and drought-resistant crops offer partial solutions, Shoshan stressed that "without reliable international climate finance, adaptation efforts will remain limited -- threatening food security and rural stability."

He called for stronger and sustainable adaptation strategies supported by international cooperation, both technically and financially. Enditem