Assessment of water source availability and quality for small ruminant consumption in the Northern Badia region of Jordan

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Water is the most important nutrient for the production of healthy livestock. Water scarcity bottlenecks livestock production in arid and semi-arid regions, particularly during the dry season. This study aimed to assess water availability and quality for small ruminants, and to identify major challenges of meeting their water requirements in two major small ruminant production systems in Jordan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Transhumant and sedentary production systems in the Northern Badia region of Jordan were the focus of this study. A questionnaire was distributed to 120 sheep and goat farmers (62 transhumant farmers and 58 sedentary farmers) and a water quality assessment was completed. RESULTS: Results showed that the two production systems varied their water source use seasonally. Water provision was perceived as one of the major constraints for Bedouins, particularly during the dry season in transhumant production systems, when longer distances to water sources and the high costs of fetching water daily aggravated the problem. The mean distance and travel times to the boreholes were less in the sedentary system. Watering frequency was significantly lower in the transhumant system compared to the sedentary system (p<0.05). Although the values of water quality parameters complied with guidelines for livestock consumption, low water quality was the main concern expressed by some of the survey households. CONCLUSION: Technical support to properly design, manage, and rehabilitate surface water harvesting systems is required for the sustainable use of water resources in the study region. Moreover, systematic water quality monitoring is necessary to ensure its suitability for livestock use. Further investigations on the microbiological quality of water and its effect on the health and performance of livestock are recommended.