Groundwater vulnerability is an overlay method that is used to determine the ability of pollutants to penetrate the aquifer and harming it. This method helps decision makers by highlighting expected areas to be polluted. In Jordan, groundwater is the main water resource the country uses to match its demand. The groundwater basins in Jordan are divided into 12 major basins; some are rechargeable and others are fossil. Many basins are over exploited; Amman Zarqa basin is a clear example for this case. In this study, a groundwater vulnerability map was produced for study area using SINTACS, GOD and DRASTIC indices to study the vulnerability of the aquifers throughout the targeted area. The different resulted maps show different vulnerability classes ranging from low to high reflecting the environmental, hydrological and hydrogeological settings of the groundwater and its recharge ability. The resulted map shows wide variation in groundwater vulnerability in different sites within the targeted area. Within the basin, areas with higher vulnerability are those with friable aquifer materials and shallow groundwater depths. Medium and low vulnerability classes exist too because of the variations of the environmental settings within the targeted areas. Key words: Groundwater, vulnerability, SINTACS, DRASTIC, GOD, Zarqa River basin.

The current study was undertaken to assess the physicochemical quality of the Kufranja dam (KD) surface water in northern Jordan during the summer and winter seasons (2019). The samples were analyzed for temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, major cations, major anions, and heavy...

Recent studies highlight the fragility of the Mediterranean basin against climate stresses and the difficulties of managing the sustainable development of groundwater resources. In this work, the main issues related to groundwater management have been identified from the stakeholder’s perspective in the following four representative water-stressed Mediterranean areas: the coastal aquifer of Comacchio (Italy), the Alto Guadalentín aquifer (Spain), the alluvial aquifer of the Gediz River basin (Turkey), and the Azraq aquifer (Azraq Wetland Reserve, Jordan). This has been achieved by designing a methodology to involve and engage a representative set of stakeholders, including a questionnaire to learn their point of view concerning the current management of aquifer systems and their experience with the already available tools for groundwater resource management, such as monitoring networks and numerical models. The outcome of the survey has allowed us to identify both particular and common challenges among the four study sites and among the various groups of stakeholders. This information provides valuable insights to improve the transfer of scientific knowledge from the research centers to the authorities managing the groundwater resources and it will help to plan more effective research activities on aquifer management. The proposed methodology could be applied in other aquifers facing similar problems.

Jordan, the second most water-scarce country in the world, is gradually increasing its reliance on treated wastewater for its water supply; more than 90% of treated wastewater is used either in agricultural or industrial activities in Jordan. However, in Jordan, all treated wastewater plants are constructed upstream of dams, the latter being used to store treated wastewater. Most dams in the country were originally constructed to collect freshwater through rainfalls. Mixing this source of freshwater with treated wastewater decreases the dams' water quality. This study examines the effects of mixing freshwater with treated wastewater in dams by comparing water samples from the outflows of selected wastewater treatment plants and different dams with historical hydrochemical data of dam water before the diversion of treated wastewater. This study finds that the quality of dam water, in which freshwater has been mixed with treated wastewater, notably decreases. Hence, this study formulates policy recommendations on how to ensure a sustainable water supply that ensures the quality necessary to different water uses, making the suggestion of a separate storage system in dams.

Climate change is determined as a severe threat to water resource availability in Semi-Arid Areas. Therefore, it is crucial to examine drought trends to develop and sustain water resources. This study evaluates the effects of climate change in Jordan by analyzing the long-term precipitation...