H1 2026 Evaluation
Jordan Reservoir Transparency
D+49Poor — Ranked #57 out of 167 countries
weight 30%
weight 20%
weight 15%
weight 13%
weight 10%
weight 8%
weight 5%
Primary source evaluated
MWI — Ministry of Water and Irrigation (Jordan Water Sector Facts & Figures)
https://www.mwi.gov.joDimension breakdown
Data Availability
20% of total score
MWI publishes annual 'Jordan Water Sector Facts and Figures' PDF reports (confirmed editions: 2015, 2017, 2022) containing individual dam storage figures for 13–17 major dams. The Jordan Open Government Data Portal hosts one dam-storage XLSX dataset covering 2018, last touched July 2025. MWI and JVA also issue ad-hoc press releases (via Jordan Times, Zawya, Petra news agency) reporting aggregate and per-dam storage percentages when critical thresholds are crossed. No live dashboard or regularly updated public portal for current storage volumes exists; data access depends on annual PDF reports and sporadic media communiqués.
Technical Accessibility
15% of total score
The primary data pathway is PDF-format annual reports, which require manual extraction. The Jordan Open Government Data Portal (opendata.gov.jo) hosts one dam-storage XLSX file for 2018 with no registration required, an API guide exists at the portal level, and the dataset is datastore-importable — but it covers a single year and has not been updated with new annual editions. No machine-readable time-series API for current dam storage exists. JVA operates an internal SCADA system with telemetry across all major reservoirs, but this system is not publicly accessible. The MWI website is navigable with an English toggle but is primarily Arabic. No open REST endpoint for dam storage levels was found.
Coverage
30% of total score
v1.3.0 capacity-weighted methodology applied 2026-05-29. Jordan total national reservoir storage capacity ~338 hm³ across 14 major dams per MWI Jordan Water Sector Facts & Figures 2022 (Wahda/Wehdeh ~110, King Talal ~75, Karamah ~55, Mujib ~25, Wadi Al-Arab ~17, Tannour ~14, plus smaller). COVERED capacity ≈ 320 hm³ via MWI annual 'Jordan Water Sector Facts and Figures' PDF reports (13–17 major dams individually reported) + the 2018 XLSX on opendata.gov.jo + ad-hoc MWI/JVA press releases. coverage = round(100 × 320 / 338) = 95. MWI reporting captures essentially the full inventory of large dams above the 10 hm³ threshold by capacity weight.
Historical Depth
13% of total score
Machine-readable historical data is very limited: a single 2018 XLSX on opendata.gov.jo is the only structured open dataset. MWI's 'Facts and Figures' PDF series spans at least 2015–2022 (confirmed: 2015, 2017, 2022 editions), providing annual snapshots per dam, but these are PDF-only and not systematically digitised into a downloadable time series. Academic literature cites hydrological records for King Talal Dam going back to the 1980s, but this data is not publicly accessible via any government portal. No machine-readable multi-year series covering a decade or more is publicly downloadable.
Update Frequency
10% of total score
The structured open dataset on opendata.gov.jo covers only 2018. The annual Facts and Figures PDF series is published roughly once per year with data lagged by 1–2 years (the 2022 edition appeared in 2024). Irregular press releases via the Petra news agency and Jordan Times report aggregate dam storage during the rainy season (November–March) and when critical 'red line' thresholds are reached, suggesting a few updates per year in good seasons, fewer in dry ones. No weekly or monthly scheduled publication mechanism for dam storage levels was found. Real-time or near-real-time public data does not exist.
Methodological Transparency
8% of total score
No published methodology document for dam storage measurement was found on MWI, JVA, or WAJ websites. JVA operates a SCADA/telemetry system (supplied by SATEL) that gathers upstream/downstream levels, inflow, and salinity at major reservoirs, but the technical specifications and calibration methods are not publicly documented. MWI annual reports state figures without describing the measurement protocol, sensor types, or data-validation procedures. The National Water Strategy 2023–2040 references integrated data systems but contains no operational methodology for reservoir monitoring. FAO AQUASTAT lists Jordanian dam capacities but relies on self-reported national data.
Language and Usability
5% of total score
The MWI website is bilingual (Arabic/English toggle), and the English 'Facts and Figures' annual report is published in full English translation. The Jordan Open Government Data Portal (opendata.gov.jo) is bilingual with an English interface. English-language media (Jordan Times, Zawya, Petra news agency) regularly republish MWI and JVA dam-storage announcements. The 2018 XLSX on opendata.gov.jo uses Arabic column headers, which reduces machine usability for non-Arabic readers. No dedicated English-language data portal for dam storage exists; English content is derivative of Arabic primary publications.
Evaluator notes
Jordan sits in an acute water-scarcity context — one of the most water-stressed nations globally — yet its reservoir transparency infrastructure is weak. The Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI) and Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) do publish dam storage data, but primarily as annual PDF 'Facts and Figures' reports and irregular media press releases rather than via any live or machine-readable platform. Individual dam storage volumes for 13–17 major dams (King Talal, Wehdeh/Wahda, Karamah, Mujib, Waleh, Tannour, Wadi Al-Arab, Kafrein, and others) are reported, covering virtually all of Jordan's nationally significant surface storage (~280–338 Mm³ total capacity). A single 2018 XLSX dataset is available on the Jordan Open Government Data Portal under the Open Jordanian License with no registration barrier, but it represents a one-off snapshot rather than a maintained series. The JVA operates a sophisticated internal SCADA and telemetry system across all major dams, collecting real-time inflow, water level, and salinity data. However, this system feeds internal operations only and no public-facing dashboard or API exposes these readings. Methodological documentation for storage measurement is absent from all public sources. Historical machine-readable time series do not exist beyond the single 2018 file; annual PDF archives reach back to at least 2015 but require manual digitisation for analysis. Given Jordan's extreme water-security pressures, there is a strong case for investing in a real-time public dam-storage dashboard — comparable to what Iraq or Turkey operate — both for domestic accountability and for regional water diplomacy. The primary score drag is the absence of a live data platform, machine-readable historical series, and published methodology. The relatively high coverage score reflects that the dams MWI does report on represent the near-totality of the country's managed surface storage. Language usability scores moderately because English translations of the annual reports are published and international English-language media actively re-disseminates JVA/MWI announcements.
Evaluated by Jaime Delgado · 2026-05-29 · Methodology v1.3.0
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