Water Stress In general, many of the countries that present promising potential for renewable energy generation through solar and wind power also face severe water stress. At particular risk is Jordan, as the fourth most water-scarce country in the world. Desert areas in Jordan occupy more than 80% of the country’s total land area and receive no more than 100 mm of precipitation per year. Moreover, only 4% of the country’s total area receives over 300 mm of precipitation per year. Limited amounts of water are available for Jordan from international rivers that are used other riparian countries, while population growth and climate change negatively affect water availability in the country. Water Footprint In 2022, water use by the agricultural, municipal/domestic, and industrial sectors reached 1,127 million cubic meters. The agricultural sector has the highest water consumption rates, followed by the domestic and industrial sectors. According to an estimate from IRENA, the global annual demand of 409 million tonnes of green hydrogen needed in 2050 requires 7 to 9 billion cubic meters of water yearly- less than 0.3% of current freshwater consumption. In addition, the agricultural and municipal/industrial sectors currently consume over 100 times and 50 times more water, respectively, than the expected water needs for hydrogen production in 2050. Moreover, compared to fossil thermal power generation or to blue hydrogen, the water usage intensity of green hydrogen from wind, sun and electrolysis is substantially lower. Even when factoring in the water required to clean and cool solar systems(around 70 liters per liter of fuel), the water demand posed by green hydrogen production remains lower than the demand produced by fossil thermal power generation. Therefore, shifting to green hydrogen improves water management and lessens water stress. Desalination Water desalination has presented itself as an ideal solution for reducing hydrogen’s ‘water footprint’. Around 85% of planned green hydrogen projects may need an additional water source, such as desalination. Desalination requires intensive energy usage; to be sustainable, the electricity produced must be from renewable resources and abide by the same standards of electrolysis. Jordan can address and reduce the effects of water scarcity in the country through future sea water desalination and water efficiency projects. Desalination plants built for hydrogen production could also satisfy local demands for drinking water and irrigation. However, desalination raises serious environmental issues with respect to the disposal of brine. In Jordan, the Groundwater Management Policy encourages water desalination by the private sector, while stressing its environmental impacts and the need for proper brine disposal. However, brine disposal generated from inland desalination remains an issue in Jordan. The Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance Project will supply 300 million cubic meters of water a year through a 450-kilometer channel north of the capital Amman and its surrounding area. Water will be collected and desalinated from the Red Sea at the Gulf of Aqaba in the south. This project mainly aims to secure future supplies of drinking water in Aqaba, Amman, and other areas, and to increase the private sector’s involvement in water management. However, additional desalination projects will be needed in Jordan for hydrogen and PtX production. 20