I knew it was going to be a great day when one of our coordinators began doling out falafel sandwiches as I sat down having barely got dressed in time to make it to the bus, let alone find food. I wolfed two sandwiches and dozed off with the rest of the bus for the two-hour trip north to the Sharhabil Bin Hasna Eco-Park. When I awoke we were on a dirt road, surrounded by as much greenery as I'd witnessed since my expedition to the Ma'in hot springs; olive orchards spanned the clearings on either side of the road, which was lined with some other type of tree that I didn't recognize, but whose color was just as refreshing to see. A few minutes later we arrived at our destination, which is the home of an organization call Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME). There a representative of the organization briefed us on the issue of water shortages in Jordan, which I was aware of but had not spent much time pondering.
It's easy to get wrapped up in the controversial issues in America--balancing the budget, finding an adequate health care system, debating gun laws and immigration reform are all important issues whose political outcomes will impact thousands, if not millions of Americans. But as I sat in a classroom in the woods discussing strategies to find a sustainable source of water in Jordan, these issues seemed relatively inconsequential. The most concerning thing was that this isn't even a front-running issue. Jordan is forced to ration its water supply at 145 cubic meters per person per year, which is 355 less than the UN standard to be considered to have an "absolute scarcity" of water, and sources of freshwater are shrinking. This in itself is alarming. Now consider how the depth of this problem is compounded by the presence of even more publicized issues such as youth unemployment, refugees, poverty, and public and private sector corruption. So not only do activists have to focus on solving what is clearly an urgent problem, they also have to find a way to spread awareness and lobby for government cooperation. However, Jordanians are a driven people, and I look forward to witnessing the evolution of the kingdom as it tackles all of these issues.
The day ended with a sunset tour of a nearby ancient Roman city first built by Alexander the Great called UmQais, which had a spectacular view of the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights. If only I could find a way to continue this lifestyle of knowledge, adventure, and falafel when I return...