This study investigates the economic feasibility and farmer acceptance of utilizing treated wastewater (TWW) for agricultural irrigation in the Northern Jordan Valley (NJV). Despite its potential to mitigate water scarcity, concerns about soil health, crop yield, and land utilization hinder widespread adoption. The research measures farm profitability and farmers' willingness to embrace TWW through various blending scenarios with traditional surface water sources, incorporating a yield response function to salinity within the profit function. Results reveal that TWW adversely affects salt-sensitive crops like citrus, with net profit declining from US$ 8,666/ha at 0% TWW to US$ 5,152/ha at 100% TWW. Conversely, crops such as date palms and olives maintain stable profitability, with date palms showing minimal variation around US$ 20,370/ha. Economic indicators highlight substantial profit declines for crops like peppers, which drop to US$ 714/ha at 100% TWW. The net value added for citrus decreases from US$ 0.81/m³ to US$ 0.46/m³, while date palms increase from US$ 1.36/m³ to US$ 1.41/m³, indicating resilience to salinity. Farmers' willingness to pay for water varies, exceeding US$ 0.70/m³ for tomatoes and peppers, while olives remain below US$ 0.14/m³. These findings underscore the importance of understanding crop-specific responses to TWW blending and emphasize a holistic approach that considers both economic viability and environmental impacts for sustainable agricultural practices. Doi: 10.28991/HIJ-2025-06-01-016 Full Text: PDF

People value nature based on their relationship to it and the utility they derive from it. This paper explores the utilization of forest ecosystem services and the factors that influence an individual’s relational values toward two forest-protected areas in northern Jordan: Ajloun and Yarmouk Forest-Protected Area. A random sample of 200 members from local communities was interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Later, we employed chi-square and ordinary logistic regression methods to determine factors associated with a set of relational values. The results revealed that respondents’ most valued cultural services and the provisioning of some ecosystem services. Recreation and collection of wild plants were the most frequently mentioned ecosystem services used in both protected areas. Socio-economic factors such as gender, age, income, and period of residency – influenced respondents’ relational values through monetary benefits, ecological resilience, social cohesion, and physical and health benefits. In conclusion, it is important to raise the local community’s awareness of forest ecosystems, and that institutional actions should recognize forests’ cultural, religious, identity, and existence values to help win continuous support from local communities for forest-protected areas.

Invasions by invasive alien species (IAS) are recognized as one of the largest threats to earth’s ecosystem services and represent rapidly growing economic costs as they damage local ecosystems and force surrounding communities to divert resources towards IAS management and control. The study objectives were to assess the economic impacts of a Prosopis juliflora invasion in Jordan and gauge community preferences for management plans. The study was conducted in Sweimeh, Jordan Valley using a combination of focus groups and randomized interviews with 203 local households. Direct-use values for products derived from P. juliflora and direct costs owing to P. juliflora’s presence have been calculated. A binary logistic regression model was then developed to predict the households’ preferences between two policy responses: P. juliflora management or complete eradication. The results revealed the dualistic role of P. juliflora in household livelihoods: it was widely used for firewood, fodder, and charcoal offering benefits valued at JOD 2165 per household/year (JOD 1 = USD 0.71). At the same time, the invasion reduced household welfare by taking over arable lands and injuring humans and animals. Consequently, the income lost as a result of the invasion was estimated by JOD 1410.5 per household/year. As a result, two-thirds of respondents choose the option of P.juliflora invasion management. Only respondents’ monthly income and perception of P. juliflora’s impact on the prevention of soil erosion were significant predictors of respondents’ preferences for the management plans. In conclusion, more coordinated responses between policy makers, institutions, and local communities are required to mitigate the negative impact of P. juliflora invasion.

The study examined the effectiveness of agricultural extension education methods as perceived by vegetable growers in Jordan to meet their assessed needs in areas of production, marketing and management. A random sample of 98 vegetable growers in two governorates in Jordan was used. Four point Likert-type scales were used as instruments to gather primary data. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranged from 0.88 to 0.91 indicated high internal consistency for the scales. Nonparametric methods were used to analyze the data based on approximations to normal distribution. The results showed that aged people with basic education and who are very largely dependent on farm income are still the ones most engaged in vegetable farming. The most preferred extension methods by farmers were farm visit, meeting groups of farmers, result demonstrations and farm tours. Low rated methods include information and communications technologies (ICTs). The method to be chosen depends on the goal and adoption stage, i.e. whether we wish to change knowledge, attitude, skills or behavior. Extension staff needs to be trained on how to use ICT tools as an extension method to enable them to train farmers on how they can use them in extension. The involvement of public extension staff in the survey contributes to the selection of extension delivery method on the bases of its ability to deliver the appropriate information to the targeted farmers in the right time.

The use of treated wastewater (TWW) in agriculture is an important technological alternative for decreasing freshwater consumption and improving soil physicochemical and biological properties. The aim of this study was to investigate how the quality of soil and olive plants was affected by irrigation with TWW, surface water (SW), and blended water (BW), using tap water as the control. Several plant growth, chemical, and microbial parameters, namely plant height, trunk diameter, chlorophyll content, pH, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), metals, salinity, and microbial population were selected for this purpose. The short-term irrigation of olive plants for 3 years with TWW, BW, and SW increased the electrical conductivity, TOC, TN, phosphorus, and potassium in the soil. There were notable differences in plant height and chlorophyll content observed in the third year of the experiment, with the greatest values found for the TWW-irrigated plants. These differences were attributed to the rise in the TOC and TN in the soil, which promoted rapid plant growth. The reduction in microbial contamination during the cold seasons may indicate the natural control of these harmful pathogens. Accordingly, it can be concluded that the blending of TWW with SW can reduce the negative effects of TWW resulting from the accumulation of TOC, TN, and metals.