ABSTRACT
Policy-making in Jordan influences water resources management in at least four ways. First, such objectives as regional and domestic stability are of overriding importance for a small country in a conflict-ridden region. Where concerns about political stability and water resources management clash, the former are bound to take precedence. Second, the institutional responsibilities for water resources management are not clear. Informal networks based on family ties play an important role in Jordan, which may jeopardize rules on sound water management. Third, giving Jordan a larger share of the water of international rivers is often claimed to be the way to resolve the water crisis. Too much emphasis has, however, been placed on this aspect: the water resources to be gained through such cooperation are so limited that more attention should be paid to other options. Finally, the efforts being made to achieve the macroeconomic objectives set by the government are making it difficult to build expensive water infrastructure as in the past.
