THE CITY WATER RESILIENCE APPROACH CITY CHARACTERISATION REPORT AMMAN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CONTENTS On behalf of the study team, I would like to thank The 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Rockefeller Foundation and The Resilience Shift for supporting this project. 6 BACKGROUND 10 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The CWRA is a joint effort developed in collaboration with our project partners, the Stockholm International 12 UNDERSTANDING AMMAN’S WATER SYSTEM Water Institute (SIWI), along with city partners in Amman, 14 Water Supply Cape Town, Greater Miami and the Beaches, Mexico City, Kingston upon Hull, Greater Manchester, Rotterdam and 16 Wastewater Thessaloniki, and with contributions from 100 Resilient 17 Surface Discharge Cities and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 18 ENGAGEMENT WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS 22 Key Programmes This project would not have been possible without the valued guidance and support of the CWRA Steering 24 CHARACTERISING RESILIENCE Group. Our thanks to the following: Fred Boltz (Resolute 26 Critical Interdependencies Development Solutions), Casey Brown & Sarah Freeman 27 Key Shocks and Stresses (University of Massachusetts, Amherst), Katrin Bruebach 30 Key Factors of Resilience & Andrew Salkin (100 Resilient Cities), Jo da Silva (Arup), Nancy Kete & Juliet Mian (The Resilience Shift), Diego 32 REFLECTIONS OF THE CITY WATER RESILIENCE THE APPROACH Rodriguez & Maria Angelica Sotomayor (World Bank). 34 Perspectives on CWRF Assessment Tool MARK FLETCHER 36 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Arup Global Water Leader 38 ANNEX A: AMMAN WATER SYSTEM MAP April 2019 40 ANNEX B: AMMAN WATER GOVERNANCE DIAGRAM 42 REFERENCES The CWRA project team includes Pilar Avello (SIWI), George Beane (Arup), Kieran Birtill (Arup), James Bristow (Arup), Alexa Bruce (Arup / The Resilience Shift), Louise Ellis (Arup / The Resilience Shift), Sophie Fisher (Arup), Mark Fletcher (Arup), Caroline Karmann (Arup), Richard Gine (SIWI), Alejandro Jiménez (SIWI), James Leten (SIWI), Kathryn Pharr (Venturi Innovation), Oriana Romano (OECD), Iñigo Ruiz-Apilánez (Arup / The Resilience Shift), Panchali Saikia (SIWI), Martin Shouler (Arup) and Paul Simkins (Arup). 4 CITY WATER RESILIENCE APPROACH 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The City Water Resilience Approach (CWRA) stable, receiving influxes of refugees since the recovery of water/wastewater and flooding. stresses; helps cities plan and implement actions to build 1950’s. The major issues cited by stakeholders with the • “Infrastructure Design and Management”. resilient urban water systems. A critical first step Amman water system were: Redundancy, both in terms of design and in this process is understanding the local water Approximately 40% of Jordan’s water resources operation of assets, emerged as a key theme system, and the factors that contribute to or is transboundary (MWI, 2015). Amman itself • Water stress due to extremely scarce water as is critical to managing water scarcity. detract from resilience. is heavily reliant on water imported from resources in the region; its northern border with Syria, the Jordan • Water quality due to high turbidity levels can To achieve this, one of the main focuses of This report details research undertaken in River shared with Israel, and the Disi aquifer, render critical water sources temporarily the CWRA is to understand who the city Amman with the goals to: a shared groundwater resource with Saudi unavailable following rainfall events; Arabia managed under an international treaty engages not just within the basin it belongs to 1. Define the city water basin including (Eckstein, 2015). The city is supplied by twelve • Large influx of refugee migration puts but also the other sectors that rely on water natural basin(s), the urban water system groundwater basins and fourteen surface water excessive stress on existing infrastructure and that influence the use of water. The key and resources; and its governance structure, and the basins. Most of the population (93%) has access interdependencies between the water system interdependencies with other systems; and to improved sanitation—63% through network • Cost recovery of water and wastewater and city systems identified within Amman are Energy and Transport. 2. Identify the factors contributing to the and the rest through other means (MWI, 2016). services; resilience of the city water system and Surface water run-off either infiltrates sand flats • Inadequate governance on issues such those increasing its vulnerability. and recharges the aquifers, or it drains via ponds, as urban planning, water and wastewater rivers and channels. management; and In developing this characterisation report, the • Poor investment from both domestic and team collected desktop data on the biophysical KEY STAKEHOLDERS international markets. characteristics of the basin and key actors in the water system. Arup then undertook a field The Ministry of Water and Irrigation is the head mission in Amman 22 April - 3 May 2018 to build body responsible for water and wastewater BUILDING RESILIENCE supply, planning and formulation of policy on the desktop work by engaging in-person with Through engagement with Amman stakeholders, and strategy. At a regulatory level, the Water stakeholders. it was identified that there are a series of factors Authority of Jordan (WAJ) monitors and that would positively contribute to the resilience regulates water and wastewater utilities and of the city’s urban water system. Some of the promoting private sector participation in the AMMAN’S WATER SYSTEM most frequently mentioned were: water sector. Miyahuna Water Company under WAJ looks after the water services in Amman. Situated on the East Bank of the Jordan River, the • “Governance, Strategy and Leadership” to country of Jordan is almost entirely landlocked, The Minister for Health is responsible for water generate common visions across agencies except for a small stretch of coastline along the quality standards along with WAJ, while the and capacity build a wider number of Red Sea. Amman, is located 800 metres above Jordan Valley. workers within institutions to minimise the sea level situated on hilly area of north western current dependence on individuals; Jordan, creating a unique catchment for the SHOCKS AND STRESSES • “Data, Monitoring and Forecasting”. ~350mm average yearly precipitation it receives. Currently, SCADA systems have been Home to 4.4 million people, in a region of turmoil Shocks and stresses raised were highlighted demonstrated to be a key enabler to planning and conflict, Jordan has remained relatively by three primary themes, water scarcity, cost for and responding to key shocks and 6 CITY WATER RESILIENCE APPROACH 1 BACKGROUND Situated on the East Bank of the Jordan River, the country of Jordan is almost entirely landlocked, except for a small stretch of coastline along the Red Sea. Jordan is one of the most water scarce countries in the world in terms of available and renewable water resources (Ray P. A., 2010). Its capital, Amman, is located 800 metres above sea level situated on hilly area of north western Jordan, creating a unique catchment for the ~350mm average yearly precipitation it receives, the city does not usually receive rainfall for its three hottest months of the year (Climate Data, 2012). Amman serves as the cultural and economic centre of Jordan, believed to be one of the oldest cities in the world. Figure 1. Amman , Jordan 8 CITY WATER RESILIENCE APPROACH 9 BACKGROUND POPULATION GOVERNANCE Consultative level National Water Advisory Council and Royal Water Commission Amman is home to approximately 4.4 million Jordan is a constitutional monarchy in which people—42% of the population of Jordan. In the king holds major executive and legislative Consultative level Regulatory level User level a region of turmoil and conflict, Jordan has power. Water is a national issue with much of its remained relatively stable over recent decades. policy and regulatory functions under central Ministry of Water Water Authority of Jordan Jordan Valley Authority Since the late 1940’s, Jordan has accepted government control. Both the Royal Water and Irrigation (MWI); (WAJ); established in (JVA); established in 1988 several major influxes of refugees because of Commission and the National Water Advisory established in 1992 1998 regional conflict. Thus, Amman’s rapid population Council are consulted on water matters. More growth in recent years—doubling from 2 million details about the ministries and organisations Project Management Unit (PMU) to 4 million between 2004 and 2015—is the supporting Jordanian water governance are result of regional immigration (Greater Amman highlighted in Figure 2. Municipality, 2015). Meyahuna (Amman Aqaba water Yarmouk company Established in 2007, Miyahuna Water Utility is Government) (Aqaba) (Northern responsible for water supply in Amman and is a Governorates) private entity of the Water Authority of Jordan— ECONOMY the regulatory and operational arm of the Other ministries that support the sector Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI), which Ministry of Finance (with PPP unit) Amman has a strong banking industry and also was established in 1992 (MWI, 2015). Ministry of Planning and Internatinal Co-operation (MOPIC) relies on tourism, which has revenues totalling At the regulatory and executive level, the Ministry of Health one billion USD (Greater Amman Municipality, Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) looks after Ministry of Agriculture 2015). As the fourth most visited city in the monitoring and managing construction