4.2.14 (HL)—Water stress threshold

Water stress is screened when annual clean, accessible water falls below 1,700 m³ per person, but the threshold is not a complete diagnosis.

$annual accessible water per person = annual clean accessible supply (m³ yr⁻¹) ÷ population$

Example calculation: 17 million m³ yr⁻¹ ÷ 10,000 people = 1,700 m³ person⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Then check seasonality, regional inequality, quality, conflict and infrastructure rather than treating the national average as household access.

Jordan is a named case well below 1,700 m³ per person and even below the 500 m³ absolute-scarcity threshold. Low rainfall, dependence on shared rivers, rapid population pressure and overuse of the slowly replenished Disi aquifer all tighten supply.

The threshold is a risk screen, not a sharp biological boundary or proof that every household receives safe water.