Water Resource Availability in the Uae

Running Head: WATER RESOURCE AVAILABILITY IN THE UAE

Water Resource Availability in the UAE

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Water Resources Availability in the UAE

UAE is situated in the arid zone of the Arabian Peninsula which is characterised by low amounts of rainfall and high rates of evaporation. Water resources in the UAE have been threatened by industrial activities, aridity, and agriculture and population growth. Scanty rainfall and over pumping water for various uses has reduced the quantity and quality of groundwater sources. These shortages in water resources have become a major problem in the federation’s arid and semiarid areas. There is also a growing concern for the heavy abstraction of conventional water resources for agricultural purposes. To supplement this, UAE planted millions of trees in Abu Dhabi to increase natural water sources to 200 m3/capita (Sommariva & Syambabu, 2001).

UAE has always been dependent on groundwater for water supply, and the production of this groundwater depends on the scarce rainfall. Thus, consumption rates of water resources have always exceeded the natural recharge. This has created an imbalance in the input and output of water leading to the depletion of groundwater resources. The federation has also introduced desalination plants to supplement conventional water resources to cater for the high demand of water especially for agricultural, domestic and industrial use. Various parts of the country have launched plants for waste water treatment to reduce groundwater production and the expensive production of desalinated water (Rizk, Alsharhan& Shindo, 1997).

We have two types of water resources in the UAE; conventional and non conventional water sources. Non conventional water resources rely on the human brain power, to get water from various sources other than natural sources. Good examples of non conventional water sources in the UAE are treated waste water and desalinated...