JORDAN WATER SECURITY ISSUES

GHOR HADITHA, JORDAN -- APRIL 10, 2021: Labors harvest tomatoes in Ghor Haditha, Jordan, Saturday April 10, 2021. State subsidies for agriculture, a sector which consumes slightly more than 50 percent of JordanÕs water supply while contributing only 3 to 4 percent to its GDP, gives farmers little incentive to use new Ñ and expensive Ñ irrigation techniques or choose crops that are more profitable. ÒWater productivity here is about $1.5 per cubic meter. ItÕs $100 in the Netherlands,Ó Dawood says, adding that JordanÕs top crops are tomatoes and cucumbers, low-profit plants that consume a lot of water. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)