The acceleration of economic development and rising standards of living have made energy security a top priority for policy makers worldwide. The issue of securing energy is particularly challenging for Jordan, which suffers from scarcity of natural resources, combined with the regional instability and conflicts. Based on desk research and on experts’ interviews, this study discusses the status quo of the energy sector in Jordan, its main challenges, and future aspirations. It thus contributes to the debate on how Jordan can ensure environmental, economic, social, and political sustainability of its energy sector. Jordan’s energy security has been historically linked to its relations with the neighboring countries and thus vulnerable to external shocks and outside political events. Notwithstanding reform efforts to reduce dependency from imports and some progress in diversifying the energy mix, energy security remains critical: the country imports around 94% of its energy, which represents approximately 10% of GDP. The growing domestic demand, which increases at a yearly rate of 3%, further adds to the pressure to envision strategies towards a more sustainable energy sector. These strategies will need to include investment in renewable energy, the reduction of energy consumption via increasing energy efficiency, and also synergic agreements with other countries. The interviewed experts highlighted the importance of governance for the successful implementation of these strategies. The creation of an enabling environment should go hand in hand with the involvement of all key stakeholders from energy and related sectors, into the development of a future vision of a sustainable energy sector.

Semi-arid climate greenhouses are increasingly faced with high internal humidity, due to climate change impacts, despite the generally arid external climate. The unintended rise in humidity results from irrigation, plant transpiration, and limited ventilation, and it negatively affects crop growth, yield, and susceptibility to pests and diseases, especially during summer. This study investigates the application of an open-cycle liquid desiccant dehumidification system using calcium chloride (CaCl₂) for humidity control and water harvesting in a greenhouse located in the Dhiban/Madaba region of Jordan. A numerical model based on the effectiveness (ε-NTU) method was used to study the system's performance under local climatic and operating conditions. Results show that the system kept the relative humidity of the greenhouse below 60% effectively, which is optimal for plant growth. Moreover, it achieved significant water recovery: 19,757 kg in June, 20,849 kg in July, and 21,317 kg in August, based on 8-hour daily operation. This condensed water represents a valuable resource for supplemental irrigation. The findings underscore the dual advantage of the liquid desiccant system for reducing excessive humidity as well as water scarcity in a complementary way towards improving sustainable cultivation in the greenhouse in arid and semi-arid regions.