jordan pulse -

Dr Loay Bawaneh —
Recent flooding in Karak city, and damage to roads and infrastructure caused by torrential rain, raises serious questions about preparedness and accountability of official institutions responsible for roads, drainage, and public works.
Scenes of water pooling without drainage, collapsing streets, flooded homes, and damaged walls in areas including Iraq village, Karak Castle historic wall, and Ghor Al Nimra in southern Jordan reflect dangerous infrastructure failure that shocks Jordanians.
What happened exposes severe weakness in infrastructure readiness and prompts questions over seriousness of state and decision-makers in holding responsible bodies accountable, rather than relying on explanations such as unexpected rainfall or climate change. Such justifications, the writer argues, mask negligence, administrative failure, and lack of integrity starting from ministers down to department heads.
Assessment of Karak floods must move beyond media statements and declared emergency readiness, which citizens quickly find hollow with first rainfall. What occurred in Karak and Iraq area days ago, alongside recent incident in Amman where girl fell into deep pit, shows gap between claims and reality. Where were Greater Amman Municipality and Karak Municipality readiness plans?
More troubling, officials acknowledge that about 60% of Karak infrastructure requires complete redesign and reconstruction, directly implicating ministries including Public Works and Municipal Affairs, municipalities themselves, and related bodies. Responsibility, the writer says, is clear and direct and must be addressed through constitutional and legal channels, whether by parliamentary no-confidence votes or referral to Anti-Corruption Commission.
Failure to act risks continuation of patronage, administrative decay, and erosion of public trust, leaving citizens to bear consequences while investigations repeatedly end without accountability.
Responsibility also extends to contractors who implemented projects without meeting specifications. Losses to roads, property, and lives demand clear answers on who bears responsibility. Karak MPs, the writer adds, also face questions over their role, with accountability ultimately left to voters in next elections.
Despite damage, Karak remains symbol of resilience and pride, standing firm through hardships, supported by its people and continued royal care from King Abdullah II and Crown Prince.
Decision-makers are urged to recognise that performance of some ministers falls short of royal expectations. Leaving Karak infrastructure neglected today risks similar outcomes in Amman, Zarqa, Irbid, and other governorates.
Writer, researcher, academic at Al-Balqa Applied University