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Advancing sustainable groundwater management
in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Dr Mohamed Yousef Al Madfaei, Executive Director, Integrated Environmental Policy and Planning Sector;
Eva Ramos, Director, Environmental Analysis and Economics; and Hessa Abdelsattar Banijabir,
Environmental Analyst, Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi
D
espite being one of the richest countries in oil, the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) is a poor country in terms of water
resources, with groundwater as the only renewable
resource. Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, faces many chal-
lenges such as water scarcity, increasing water demand and high
levels of water consumption from the agricultural sector, land-
scape irrigation and residential and commercial use. However,
the emirate is also trying to seize many opportunities in order
to use its limited water resources in a more sustainable way.
Coming from the belief that one hand cannot clap, new policies
are being developed by the Government to increase cooperation
between the different players in the water sector, starting with
the producers and ending with the consumers.
Many challenges
It is always important to understand the problem and its roots before
searching for solutions. The UAE has an arid climate and scanty
rainfall due to a hyper-arid climate with less than 100 mm of rainfall
per year, a low groundwater recharge rate of less than 4 per cent
of the annual water used, and no reliable, perennial surface water
resources. In 2008, the water scarcity index in the emirate of Abu
Dhabi was 33 m
3
per capita per year. Therefore, renewable fresh-
water resources in the country falls far short of the water scarcity
threshold of 1,000 m
3
per capita per year (a measure of per capita
requirements to meet basic needs), and far below the water scarcity
index of most of its neighbours.
Abu Dhabi has been able to overcome the limitations imposed
by its scarce renewable water resources by increasing its reliance
on non-conventional water sources such as desalinated water and
treated sewage water. In 2011, 64 per cent of its supply came from
groundwater, 29 per cent from desalinated water and 7 per cent
from treated sewage water. The UAE has the third largest capacity
for desalination behind the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United
States. Abu Dhabi generates 100 per cent of desalinated water from
combined cycle power and desalination plants fuelled primarily
by natural gas. The growing dependency on desalinated water for
domestic consumption has a high economic cost and an
even higher environmental cost.
Despite having one of the lowest water scarcity indexes
in the world, Abu Dhabi also has high per capita water
consumption rates. In 2008, water consumption was
854.5 litres per day, while the world average ranged
between 160-220 litres per capita per day. This difference
was largely due to outdoor use. Over recent decades,
the expansion of agriculture with a view to creating
employment, protecting rural heritage and making
Abu Dhabi less dependent on imported food has driven
demand for underground water to unsustainable levels.
Simultaneously, a burgeoning population, rapid industri-
alization and commercial and residential megaprojects,
and the low prices of water due to government subsi-
dies, have created high demand for desalinated water.
The demand for water in Abu Dhabi was estimated to
be 3,313 million cubic metres, 67 per cent of which was
served by groundwater supplies, 29 per cent by desali-
nated water and only 4 per cent by recycled water. In
E
conomic
D
evelopment
and
W
ater
“Water is more important than oil for the United Arab Emirates.”
HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE
Armed Forces, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council
Until about 50 years ago, Abu Dhabi’s water requirements were met
solely from groundwater
Image: ADFCA