1. UAE State of the Water Report
Mohamed M. Al Mulla, PhD
Director of Water Resources Department
2nd Arab Water Forum
Cairo, 20-23 November 2011
2. Content
Introduction
- Geography
- Governance
- Climate
- Environment
- Agriculture
Current Water Resources Situation in UAE
- Water Resources
- Hydrological cycle
- Water Scarcity
- Water Demand
- Water Supply
- Ground Water
- Surface Water
- Water Harvesting
- Groundwater Recharge By Dams
- Desalinated water
- Treated Wastewater
3. Content
Water Resources Management in UAE
- Access to drinking water and sanitation
- Future Water Demand
- climate Change Impact on Water Resources
- Water Resources Information System
- Water Security and Management
- Water Demand Management
- Water Conservation Strategy
Summary
4. Geography
United Arab Emirates (UAE) is located in Southwest Asia
towards the south-eastern area of the Arabian Peninsula,
the UAE is a federation of seven Emirates – Abu Dhabi,
Dubai, Sharjah, Umm al-Quwain, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah
and Fujairah - that span approximately 83,600 square
kilometers. The UAE’s coastlines form the south and south-
eastern shores of the Arabian Gulf and part of the western
shores of the Gulf of Oman.
The UAE’s population increased by about 75% between
1995 and 2005, the year when the last census was
conducted. the population is increased to 5.06 million by
the end of 2009. The overwhelming majority of population
growth is associated with non-nationals coming to the
country on temporary work assignments.
In 2007, the UAE’s GDP reached nearly 730 billion dirhams (about US$ 200 billion), up from almost 242
billion dirhams in 2000 and 157 billion dirhams in 1995. The national economy is well diversified and has
experienced robust growth in recent years, with GDP growing at an average real annual rate of 11.2% for
the past several years.
5. Governance
The UAE’s government is a constitutionally-based federal system. The political system comprises
several intricately connected governing bodies that include the Supreme Council, the Council of
Ministers, the Federal National Council and the Federal Judiciary.
The relationship between the federal and emirate governments is established in the Constitution,
which allows for a degree of flexibility in the distribution of authority. Each of the seven emirates has
its own local government. Over the past several years, major steps have been taken, both at a
federal and at a local level, to reform the structure of government to enhance responsiveness to the
citizenship and emerging challenges of sustainable development.
An important recent development was the development of a national Government Strategy which
launched in 2007 aiming to establish foundations for a new era of public administration.
Implementation of the strategy has continued to make progress resulting in the enhancement of
collaboration between the federal and emirate-level authorities. The national policy agenda has
been followed by several local initiatives such as Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 a major development
initiative of Abu Dhabi that will guide planning decisions for the next quarter of a century.
6. Climate
UAE has an arid to hyber-arid climate with high temperatures and infrequent
irregular low rainfall.
Mean max. temp. reaches > 40 °C in summer
High relative humidity (reaches > 97%)
Average daily evaporation 8.2 mm
Average daily sunshine 9.8 hours
Average annual mean rainfall is around 120 mm
7. Environment
UAE recognized the importance of conserving environmental resources as an important foundation
to its developmental policies for present and future generations. The UAE is endowed with a variety
of important terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems.
In addition to national legislation that targets environmental issues, the UAE is a party to several
regional and international conventions and protocols, with the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol
taking place in 2005.
Other resent notable developments include the following:
Tighter controls over the country's quarrying industry: new regulations introduced by the
Ministry of Environment and Water cover air quality guidelines, noise, health and safety
practices and the impact on the environment of areas adjacent to quarry sites and their
associated rock crushers;
More protected areas: for example, areas of the Hajar Mountains are being prepared for
designation as protected areas, the mountains are home to much of the UAE's endangered
wildlife and provide key habitats.
8. Agriculture
UAE has been able to develop a
thriving agricultural industry despite
its highly arid condition.
Modern irrigation techniques and
water from groundwater aquifers
wastewater treatment plants and
from desalination plants have made
it possible for large areas to be
cultivated.
There are currently more than
100,000 hectares of cultivated land,
producing a range of crops
including vegetables fruit and
fodder.
9. Water Resources in UAE
Water Resources
Conventional Non – Conventional
Surface runoff
Desalinated Water
Falajes & Springs
Groundwater
Treated wastewater
11. Water Scarcity
The UAE total renewable freshwater resources is estimated to be less than 150 MCM / Year
12. Water Demand
The UAE total water demand in 2009 was estimated to be 4.5 BCM
2000
1789
1754 1800
1687
1600
1600
MCM مليون متر مكعب
1400
Demend األستخدام 1200
Groundwater مياه جوفية
1000
Desalination مياه محاله
Treated wastewater مياه صرف صحى معالجة 800
600
456 456 478
400
287
131 102 200
60 87 67
0
Forestry الغابات Amenity التخضير والحدائق Domestic البلدى Agriculture الزراعى
Sector القطاع
13. Water Supply
In 2009 water was supplied from three main sources:
9%
1. Groundwater supplies about 51%, mostly for irrigation
uses, but some limited quantities are used for potable
uses
2. Desalinated water supplies about 40%, mainly for 51%
potable water uses 40%
3. Treated wastewater supplies about 9%, and mainly
used for irrigating amenity areas and industrial uses
Groundwater Desalination T. wastewater
14. Groundwater
Groundwater is UAE’s main natural water resource. The use of it is primarily for agriculture and
forestry. The total volume of groundwater is large (640 BCM) but only 3% of the groundwater
available, about 20 BCM is fresh.
15. Groundwater
Traditionally, groundwater was the main source of water for all uses in UAE. Due to the rapid
expansion mainly in the agricultural area several environmental problems have occurred :
Over-abstraction of groundwater for
agricultural caused a sharp drop in
water levels in the fresh groundwater
region.
Salt-Water Intrusion from the sea in
coastal regions, lateral movement of
saline water from a nearby sabkha-
dominated areas, or upwelling of saline
water from lower stratigraphic units into
shallow fresh water aquifers
Water Quality Problems such as
the rising of nitrate concentrations in
some areas due to the over-use of
fertilizer and over-irrigation
16. Surface Water
The main renewable fresh water resource in the UAE is Wadi runoff which is determined by rainfall
characteristics and the natural terrain. There are 60 surface water catchments defined in the UAE.
The potential average annual surface water flow can range between 23 MCM to 138 MCM per year.
17. Water Harvesting
To manage the Wadi flows and flash floods, a series of multi-purpose dams were constructed from
the early 1980s. The majority of the dams and barriers is located in the northern mountainous part
of the country where significant flash floods occur. Benefits include increasing groundwater
recharge; protecting people , farms and urban lands from flood damages; storing water to meet
local agricultural water demand; conserving downstream areas from erosion; reducing water losses
to the ocean; and limiting seawater intrusion in coastal areas.
18. Groundwater Recharge By Dams
117 recharge dams constructed across main Wadies, with total storage capacity of 120 MCM.
The total harvested water behind the dams from 2001 until March 2010 is estimated at 130 MCM.
The recharge efficiency is estimated between 47% to 22% for some dams.
MCM
130 MCM
Total Harvested Water
19. Desalinated water
At present, desalinated water is the primary source
for potable water use in the UAE. Water desalination
in the country was initiated in 1973, in Abu Dhabi at
an annual production rate of 7 MCM. Desalination
capacity has increased since 2000 in a response to
increasing water demand from economic
development and population growth. The national
desalination capacity is about 1,700 MCM per year.
Both seawater and inland water desalination are
practised. Desalination plants fall into two main
categories: those that are constructed to utilize heat Distribution of UAE's desalination
capacity among the Emirates
from thermal power generation known as thermal co-
generation plants (Multi-Stage Flash MSF and
Multiple Effect Distillation MED); and independent
Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants that use electrical
power to force salty water through membranes that
strip salts from the water. Presently, thermal plants in
operation and under planning account for 81% of
desalination capacity and RO accounts for 19% in
UAE.
20. Treated Wastewater
Treated wastewater is a valuable resource to address water scarcity. Thus, treated wastewater
has an important role to play in water resources management in the UAE. Treated wastewater is
a significant and growing resource in the UAE. To date it has been used primarily for greening of
urban areas. The total amount of treated wastewater produced was 560 MCM in 2009.
Wastewater Treatment Systems in Abu Dhabi
Most of the UAE WWTPs are activated sludge
plants with tertiary treatment that consists of sand
filtration and chlorination. The following
conventional treatment methods are used in the
treatment plants:
Activated sludge using surface aerators or
fine bubble diffusers.
Aerated lagoons.
Sequential batch reactors.
Trickling filters.
Aerated submerged media.
Package plants (based on activated sludge).
UASB (up flow anaerobic sludge blanket)
UAE Water Conservation Strategy 2010 , MOEW
technology.
22. Future Water Demand
Assuming current demand patterns and rates continue, the UAE’s total annual water demand is
expected to double by 2030 from 4.4 BCM in 2008.
The sector of predicted greatest increase is in urban demand such (household, industrial,
commercial, institutions and public facilities resulting from population and industrial/commercial
growth. Conversely, water demand for agricultural and forestry is expected to decrease relative to
current values as a result of depleting groundwater resources, unless Treated wastewater or
desalinated water resources are used as substitutes.
UAE Water Conservation Strategy, 2010 , MOEW
23. Climate Change Impact on Water
- Under a changing climate, the vulnerability of water
resources in the UAE will likely worsen. Given climate
projections suggesting the future possibility of lower
rainfall levels, surface runoff could decrease , further
reducing both surface and groundwater availability.
- UAE has undertaken regional climatic modeling
analysis, as well as vulnerability and adaptation study for
water resources. A key finding of the water resource
vulnerability study is that the combination of future
population growth, irrigation requirements, and economic
activity and business-as-usual water resource
management will lead to future water demand far in
excess of current supplies.
- The essential recommendation was to develop a
strategy to reduce per capita water consumption by about
50% from current levels, with resulting level of per capita
water consumption maintained through the year 2050.
24. Water Security and Management
Water resources are the most critical natural resource for the UAE and a focus of policy scrutiny.
Issued by the 31st GCC Summit which wound up in UAE (7/12/2010), the Abu Dhabi Water
Declaration stressed the importance of linking between the guarantee of water security and
diversification of energy and food security sources as vital prerequisite and key strategic priority for
the future of the GCC states.
Sustainable and integrated development and management of water resources requires water policy
reforms with emphasis on supply and demand management measures and improvement of the legal
and institutional provisions. UAE has developed a number of initiatives to enhance its water security
level include the following:
- A National Water Conservation Strategy has been lunched in 2010 focusing on water demand
management measures in all water consumption sectors.
- To increase the strategic water reserve an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) project is
established. The aim of the project is to develop sufficient capacity of domestic water supply to
serve Abu Dhabi city and the surrounding area for up to 90 days at a daily rate of up to 40MIGD.
The water would be reserved for use in case of emergency.
- Investments on new water projects including desalination, wastewater and dams construction
projects. UAE's investments on water projects have increased by 20 per cent from US$11.62
billion in 2007 to US$14bn in 2008.
25. Water Resources Information System
The system has been developed using HydroGeoanalyst & Manager software. Database Structure
allows :
– importing/exporting/storing all water resources
related data (geology, geomorphology,
Topography & DEM, Climate, soil types,
Hydrogeology, groundwater salinity, water table
levels, land use, economical activities,
desalination plants, and TSW) into/from/in the
central database
– The database has more advanced tools, like
complex querying, borehole log plotting, 3D
interpolation and visualization, and time series
charting, reporting and different types of
visualization.
– GIS capability and spatial analysis
– Linked to Water Budget Model
26. Water Demand Management
The UAE Water Conservation Strategy is a major
achievement in the realization of the Government’s vision to
secure sustainable water resource development for future
generations. The implementation of the strategy will be
sustained through close coordination between all water sector
related partners.
The strategy aimed to achieve the following objectives:
1. Provide an updated and integrated assessment of
UAE’s water resources and their use;
2. Provide an understanding of what governs water
demand, allocation and use;
3. Identify options to improve the efficiency of water use,
reduce costs and improve the environment;
4. Make recommendations to strengthen Federal policy,
laws and capacity to comprehensively oversee sound
water resources management and use; and
5. Enhance water security and protect surface and
groundwater resources, marine, and the environment.
27. Water Conservation Strategy
The Strategy provides a framework to sustainably manage the UAE’s water resources over the
period to 2021. In order to implement the Strategy, the following eight initiatives should be
implemented:
1 : Develop legislation, standards and Federal mechanisms for integrated water resources
management
2 : Better manage natural water resources and enhance strategic reserve
3 : Develop national agricultural policy aimed at water conservation and increasing value to the
economy
4 : Manage efficiently desalinated water from a comprehensive and national perspective
5 : Rationalize water consumption to be within the global daily per capita water consumption rate
6 : Review and develop water pricing and subsidy policies
7 : Better manage effluent and reclaimed water
8 : Capacity building and strengthening of local expertise on the concepts of integrated water
resources management
28. Summary
- The UAE has an arid to hyber-arid climate
- In 2009 , UAE total water demand was estimated to be 4.5 BCM . Water supplied by groundwater
(51%) , desalination (40%) and treated wastewater (9%)
- UAE total annual water demand is expected to double by 2030
- Water resources are the most critical natural resource for the UAE
- UAE Water Conservation Strategy is a major tool towards securing sustainable water resource
development
