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Analysis of the agricultural situation in Azraq Basin
German-Jordanian Programme “Management of Water Resources”
11
2.1. Al-Azraq: from subsistence
agriculture for refugees to
uncontrolled development of
irrigated agriculture
In Azraq, a period of settling waves
of Druze and Chechen immigrants
took place in 1920s, who were
then dependant on livestock
breeding in the oases and salt
production as well as sustenance
agriculture. The first investors and
capital holders from other areas
in Jordan invested in agriculture
in Azraq in the 1970s, mostly
planting olive tree farms irrigated
with traditional wells and surface
irrigation while the road to Iraq
was being built.
In the 1980s, with the development
of Azraq and the transition from
traditional to artesian 16 wells,
Azraq underwent the development
of large farms. Many farmers
were evoked by the speech of His
Majesty King Hussein for a green
desert as a motivation to invest in
agriculture in the region. Moreover,
national land regulation dictates
that proven activity in an acquired
land is sufficient to grant the
alleged owner right to this land.
As agriculture was found to be the
cheapest form of investment to
prove ownership of land, the number
of farms boomed. The uncontrolled
expansion of agriculture driven by
land speculation and prospect of
cheap land and free water continued
in the 1990s. As a consequence of
this transition, the oases dried out
completely in 1993 17 .
The expansion of agricultural
land continued in the 1990s with
a progressive diversification of
crops: introduction of grapes in
the late 1990s, pomegranates
in the beginning of 2000s, and
development of alfalfa in the last
few years. Vegetable production
was progressively abandoned since
the mid 2000s as a consequence of
water tariffs, which also resulted
in the spread of localised irrigation
techniques (micro-sprinklers, open
tube and GR).
Water abstraction decreased after
2004 as a result of the steep decline
in groundwater levels, the reduced
productivity of wells due to the
rise of operational costs, salinity
problems and lack of profitability.
Consequently, some farms in Azraq
were abandoned.
Nevertheless, new farms are still
being founded despite the prohibition
to plant new areas. Indeed, many
farmers originating from Bedouin
tribes are still planting trees to
“claim” their land, with the future
perspective of getting the land
legalised.
Figure 2. A new olive tree farm planted in
2010 on an illegally acquired land in Azraq.
16 It has to be noted that the word “artesian” well is commonly used in Azraq region for wells drilled by a drilling machine, in opposition
to manually dug wells. It does not refer to wells from which water naturally comes up the surface, as it is more generally understood
in other regions.
17 Azraq water dialogue – Strategic report - History of Socio-economical development.