ABSTRACT
The supply of food and water for a rapidly increasing population has been a major concern of the Jordanian authorities ever since the proclamation of the kingdom in 1946. The arid and semiarid climate of the country, along with the limitation on cultivable land and other natural resources, exacerbated these concerns. The 11-year hydrologic cycle is characterized by a 3-year norm above the average and 4 years below it. Therefore, dry spells are inevitable, and measures must be taken to cope with them.
