Solar panels power observation wells at a groundwater recharge pilot project in the Liwa region. Courtesy Dornier Consulting
Solar panels power observation wells at a groundwater recharge pilot project in the Liwa region. Courtesy Dornier Consulting

High and dry? Data has vital role in solving UAE water crisis



A major data collection scheme spearheaded by environmental campaigners can help the UAE avoid a water crisis.

Water levels have been assessed at tens of thousands of wells as part of wide-ranging efforts to protect the vital natural resource.

The country's water consumption was recently branded a 'huge concern" by a UAE minister and the Emirates is among the world's 10 most arid states, while about 15 per cent of the planet's desalinated water is consumed here.

About 51 per cent of the UAE’s water supply comes from groundwater and demand is such that a UAE University report in 2015 warned that the country’s water supplies could be depleted within the next few decades.

But the UAE is turning a corner in its effort to ensure residents aren't left high and dry in the future.

With the world’s population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, demand for diminishing natural resources like fresh water and fertile agricultural land will only increase.

Suhail Al Mazrouei, the UAE's energy minister, said Emirati homes alone consume 44 per cent of the country’s water consumption.

Emiratis constitute about 10 to 15 per cent of the population, depending on estimates.

Ahmed Baharoon, executive director of environmental science, information and outreach sector at Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, said using the correct data can help predict the future demands of UAE and help safeguard water supplies for future generations.

“Data is an important weapon these days, and it helps us to make good environmental decisions,” he said.

“Without it we would not have any information on how to best build our future.

“With the right environmental information, we can analyse data and predict what is likely to happen.

“The UAE is in a much better position now in this area than a decade ago.”

Results from a recent comprehensive groundwater assessment included extensive subterranean mapping and establishing of a wells inventory.

Since 2015, the project has had three phases, with a first ‘groundwater atlas’ developed to include a soil salinity survey of agricultural farms across the country.

By December 2017, researchers had collected data from 118,000 wells and 1,150 small scale desalination plants used for agriculture.

Water levels were measured and recorded in 40,000 wells, and feedback on water supplies offered from the Abu Dhabi Farmers Service Centre and the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority.

The environment agency has added that information to a database for researchers to evaluate and assess crucial information on groundwater levels in the UAE.

“This information has changed our consumption behaviour, as we now know where our most valuable water sources are, and how we can preserve it for the future,” said Mr Baharoon.

“The UAE is very arid, and the lack of rain means there is not a reliable recharge mechanism.

“This data has made us more aware of the issues we are facing.

“Cloud seeding has made an impact, but we are not counting on it.

“We have a national strategic reserve in the Al Dhafra that is man-made and underground — an emergency supply should we need it.

“We have to adapt, be creative and innovative to live and prosper in this region.”

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Emergency water supplies are collected at the Liwa Strategic Water Reserve, considered the largest global project of its kind.

An underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock, or aquifer, can be used as a source of water extraction.

The Liwa aquifer is recharged with desalinated water to refresh the groundwater quality, increasing freshwater reserves.

The total injected desalinated water, or stored water, is about 25.5 million cubic metres, equivalent to providing around 180 litres a day for the population of Abu Dhabi for 90 days, in case of an emergency.

In December 2017, the project was updated with a new system of recharge basins, recovery wells, pipelines, surface tanks and pumping stations.

The improvements have allowed the aquifer to be pumped with 31,822 cubic metres of desalinated water a day over a two-year period to strengthen reserves, and serve the needs of the Northern Emirates and Al Ain in an emergency.

Worldwide, the UN estimates 2.1 billion people lack safely managed drinking water, while 4.5 billion lack access to safely managed sanitation.

Speaking at the United Nations Global Data Forum, the UN environment department said global populations were edging closer towards a water crisis.

“Billions of people still lack safe water, sanitation and handwashing facilities,” said Alexandre Caldas, chief of country outreach, at UN Environment.

“Increasing wastewater in many parts of the world is profoundly affecting the quality and amount of water available to meet human needs and sustain ecosystems.”

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RESULTS

 

Catchweight 63.5kg: Shakriyor Juraev (UZB) beat Bahez Khoshnaw (IRQ). Round 3 TKO (body kick)

Lightweight: Nart Abida (JOR) beat Moussa Salih (MAR). Round 1 by rear naked choke

Catchweight 79kg: Laid Zerhouni (ALG) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ). Round 1 TKO (punches)

Catchweight 58kg: Omar Al Hussaini (UAE) beat Mohamed Sahabdeen (SLA) Round 1 rear naked choke

Flyweight: Lina Fayyad (JOR) beat Sophia Haddouche (ALG) Round 2 TKO (ground and pound)

Catchweight 80kg: Badreddine Diani (MAR) beat Sofiane Aïssaoui (ALG) Round 2 TKO

Flyweight: Sabriye Sengul (TUR) beat Mona Ftouhi (TUN). Unanimous decision

Middleweight: Kher Khalifa Eshoushan (LIB) beat Essa Basem (JOR). Round 1 rear naked choke

Heavyweight: Mohamed Jumaa (SUD) beat Hassen Rahat (MAR). Round 1 TKO (ground and pound)

Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammad Ali Musalim (UAE beat Omar Emad (EGY). Round 1 triangle choke

Catchweight 62kg: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR). Round 2 KO

Catchweight 88kg: Mohamad Osseili (LEB) beat Samir Zaidi (COM). Unanimous decision

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

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
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Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Company Profile

Company name: Yeepeey

Started: Soft launch in November, 2020

Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani

Based: Dubai

Industry: E-grocery

Initial investment: $150,000

Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year

Monster

Directed by: Anthony Mandler

Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington 

3/5

 

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Fitness problems in men's tennis

Andy Murray - hip

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Roger Federer - back

Stan Wawrinka - knee

Kei Nishikori - wrist

Marin Cilic - adductor

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

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Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
  1. Join parent networks
  2. Look beyond school fees
  3. Keep an open mind
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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
How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

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THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

MATCH INFO

Jersey 147 (20 overs) 

UAE 112 (19.2 overs)

Jersey win by 35 runs

What are the influencer academy modules?
  1. Mastery of audio-visual content creation. 
  2. Cinematography, shots and movement.
  3. All aspects of post-production.
  4. Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
  5. Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
  6. Tourism industry knowledge.
  7. Professional ethics.

Awar Qalb

Director: Jamal Salem

Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman

Two stars

Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK 

Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV

Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics