Jordan is generally dominated by dry, hot summers and mild wet winters with extreme variability in rainfall which is generally insufficient for crop production. As rainfall is poorly distributed over the growing season and often comes in intense bursts, it usually cannot support economically viable farming. In addition, land resources are limited and the miss management of land will leads to desertification. The main focus of this paper is on the complex relationships between soils, land use options and climate change and how these changing relationships are likely to affect suitability for agricultural land use in the future. This research aims to identify and map potential land use scenarios for Jordan and recommend an optimum land use alternatives (scenarios). The out map, will be of benefit to land managers, from decision makers to farmers, by providing guidance for the sustainable agricultural use of land according to its physical potential suitability, taking into consideration climatic and soil conditions. The results show that most of Jordan lands are suitable for rangeland 28% while 37% of the total area has potential for runoff generation. Generally, less than 92% of the total areas classified as “not suitable” for irrigation while limited areas has potential for water harvesting techniques. About 9% of the total area is suitable for forest compared with only 1.5% of the area being covered by forest as existing land use.

Potential Land Use, Scenarios, Land Suitability, GIS, LUT’s