The UAE's water resources are under extreme pressure, according to a global study. AFP
The UAE's water resources are under extreme pressure, according to a global study. AFP
The UAE's water resources are under extreme pressure, according to a global study. AFP
The UAE's water resources are under extreme pressure, according to a global study. AFP

UAE water resources under 'extreme stress', new report finds


  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE has been named as one of more than a dozen countries facing extreme pressure on its water resources, leading to warnings of “dire consequences” in the event of unexpected dry spells.

A new global report, published by the Water Resources Institute (WRI) this week, ranked the country 10th out of 164 in a global league table of nations where water supplies are most stretched.

The UAE was among 17 countries facing “extremely high water stress”, researchers said, meaning 80 per cent of available surface and groundwater in an average year is being consumed.

Of those countries, together home to a quarter of the world’s population, twelve were in the Middle East and North Africa.

Water scarcity is “a force that can exacerbate conflict and migration” in the region, the report authors said. They added that while the hot weather and dry climate meant water was in short supply in the Middle East and North Africa to begin with, rising demand and missed opportunities to save water were contributing to the situation.

The exhaustive report showed that the problem would become worse if "business as usual" continued, Julien Jreissati, a campaigner at Greenpeace MENA, told The National. The impact of climate change driven by fossil fuel consumption, he said, would exacerbate the problem.

“Fortunately the MENA region is also one of the sunniest in the world with a tremendous potential for solar energy,” he said. “The equation is therefore quite simple, it is time for MENA countries to look up to the sky, instead of underground, to power their societies and economies if they want to contribute to the global fight against climate change and avoid a dramatic water crisis.

“The region can live and thrive without oil but it won’t survive without water.”

Qatar was named as the most water stressed country on earth, followed by Israel and Lebanon. Saudi Arabia was eight, while India, home to more than 1.3 billion people, is 13th.

Water stress is the biggest crisis no one is talking about

Cities around the world were already experiencing the bleak outcome of severe water shortages, the authors of the paper said.

A water crisis in Chennai, India’s sixth-largest city, is ongoing after its four main reservoirs ran dry in June. Sao Paulo in Brazil and Cape Town in South Africa have also come close to running out of water, or ‘day zero’ scenarios as they are known, in recent years.

Countries where demand rivals supply, such as those topping the global league table, could suffer badly even during small dry spells, which are predicted to become more common due to climate change, the WRI said.

“Even small dry shocks – which are set to increase due to climate change – can produce dire consequences,” the organisation warned.

Water crisis
Water crisis

“Water stress is the biggest crisis no one is talking about,” said Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the WRI.

“Its consequences are in plain sight in the form of food insecurity, conflict and migration, and financial instability.  A new generation of solutions is emerging, but nowhere near fast enough. Failure to act will be massively expensive in human lives and livelihoods.”

High levels of demand in the Middle East and North Africa, where there is little rainfall but high demand for water-intensive technologies such as air conditioning, was putting “huge pressure” on available resources, said Paul Reig, director of WRI's aqueduct water risk project.

This was posing “a threat to agricultural, industrial and domestic water users that rely on it," he said.

"The region is is naturally dry and arid," Mr Reig told CNN. "But the situation there is getting worse. There's a number of reports and research pointing to the fact that water stress can exacerbate both migration and conflict, and that water is currently a source of growing tension and violence in the Middle East."

The report noted that roughly 84 per cent of wastewater collected in the GCC was treated to safe levels. However, less than half, 44 per cent, goes on to be reused, presenting an opportunity to improve efficiency.

The report was published in the same week that UAE businesses were urged to do more to conserve water and monitor their consumption, partly in an effort to protect reserves.

View of the Empty Quarter near Aramco's Shaybah oilfield in Saudi Arabia on May 22, 2018. Reuters
View of the Empty Quarter near Aramco's Shaybah oilfield in Saudi Arabia on May 22, 2018. Reuters

The UAE relies on desalination – the process of converting sea water – for drinking water and regularly uses cloud seeding to encourage rainfall. However, groundwater reserves, relied upon for almost two thirds of water use, have been severely depleted over recent decades, due to economic development, agriculture and population increases.

On Wednesday, Emirates Nature-WWF, which works to protect the environment, called on UAE businesses to monitor their water consumption and develop “water stewardship strategies”, in line with Alliance of Water Stewardship guidelines.

Doing so would save businesses money as well as helping the environment, Laila Mostafa Abdullatif, Director General of Emirates Nature-WWF, said.

“Developing and implementing a water saving strategy has many benefits for both the environment and the organisation,” she said. “Reducing the businesses footprint allows you to strengthen your corporate reputation amongst customers and colleagues, while measuring and documenting water savings allow you to serve as a model for other organisations in the country.”

The Uefa Awards winners

Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)

Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League

Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)

Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)

Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona

Tips to stay safe during hot weather
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
  • Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
  • Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
  • Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
  • Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
  • Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.

Six large-scale objects on show
  • Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
  • The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
  • A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
  • Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
  • A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
  • Torrijos Palace dome
THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
  • The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
  • The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
  • The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
  • The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
  • The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now