Food security expert Dr. Fadel ELZUBI explains that rising temperatures mean increased evaporation, reduced efficiency in water use, higher irrigation requirements for crops, and declining productivity of certain agricultural outputs. They also heighten the risks of forest and rangeland fires, increase electricity consumption, and exacerbate health burdens linked to heat stress.
ELZUBI adds: “Therefore, addressing heatwaves must move beyond temporary response measures to strategic planning. Climate adaptation has become a national necessity, not a choice. This begins with more efficient management of water resources, reducing losses, expanding the use of treated water in agriculture, adopting modern irrigation technologies, and encouraging the cultivation of drought- and heat-resistant varieties, alongside strengthening agricultural research and innovation.”
He stressed that safeguarding food security requires revisiting agricultural production priorities, focusing on crops that deliver high nutritional and economic value per cubic meter of water, while supporting farmers with modern technologies, expanding agricultural extension programs, and enhancing early warning systems for heatwaves and drought.
ELZUBI noted: “In urban areas, there is a pressing need to expand green spaces, improve urban planning, increase building efficiency, and strengthen health awareness programs to protect the most vulnerable groups—particularly the elderly, children, and outdoor workers.”
He further emphasized that global experience has proven investment in climate adaptation to be far less costly than dealing with disaster impacts after they occur. Every dinar invested today in sustainable water management, climate-smart agriculture, and renewable energy will spare the national economy greater losses in the future.
Finally, he underlined that the heatwaves currently striking Europe are not merely a European concern, but a clear message to all countries in the region, including Jordan, that the climate future has already begun. Preparing for it requires not anxiety, but scientific planning, sound policies, and investment in people and natural resources—so that Jordan remains capable of protecting its water and food security in a world changing at an unprecedented pace.