Popular protests and the governance of scarce fresh water in Jordan

As uprisings and protests swept across the Arab world, some regimes collapsed, while others continue to confront sporadic but persistent street protests. The latter face the challenge of daily governance and the need to respond to the popular grievances that drive these protests. Under such conditions, leaders have an opportunity to undertake extensive reforms in response to societal grievances. Jordans governance of scarce domestic water resources is a case in point. Jordan has experienced periodic but persistent protests; people are dissatisfied with corruption, opaque governance, poor economic conditions, and inadequate public services-including insufficient household water. The Ministry of Water and Irrigation can use this domestic discontent to empower itself to improve its governance of scarce water resources. Poor implementation of existing water laws has contributed to numerous small- and large-scale thefts from the municipal water system, while ineffectively targeted subsidies contribute to the wasteful use and overconsumption of this scarce resource, as well as straining budgets. By drawing on domestic discontent, the ministry can empower itself to cut water subsidies available to high-consuming elites and high-income foreigners. The ministry can also draw on the current wave of dissatisfaction with corruption to implement existing laws that strongly prosecute water theft. Together, these policy changes can save substantial quantities of water that can be delivered to households that lack water, while also decreasing budget deficits. © 2012 AWG Publishing.