In Jordan and Palestine, water scarcity and food insecurity are increasingly understood as existential threats to human security and the natural environment. Israel, which shares a similar geography, has managed to increase agricultural production while reducing pressure on water resources through modifications to agricultural composition and practices. This research analyses the scope for Jordan and Palestine to similarly ‘decouple’ trends in economic and population growth from water usage.
The methodology will include a desk analysis of economic and population growth trends, food balance sheets, and ‘Water Footprint’ data, complemented by a qualitative political analysis of the socio-economic and geopolitical trade-offs necessary to enable such transition. The findings will inform planning and policy on agriculture, food security and environmental impact, with a view to enhancing water-food security, raising agricultural productivity and promoting livelihood sustainability.
The project is funded by the British Council Institutional Links Programme, and is a partnership between Oxford University, Ecopeace (Tel Aviv and Bethlehem) and the West Asia North Africa (WANA) Institute (Amman).
