Water Scarce United Arab Emirates Needs an Integrated Water Approach

The article in the MENAFN talks about how the integrated water approach can address freshwater scarcity in the Middle East.

Climate change and population growth are adding more stress to already water-scarce countries in the Middle East. To add to the problem, future projections of global availability is bleak.

According to Oliver Wyman, a global leader in management consulting, presently 25% of the world’s population lives in “extremely high water stress,” and the number is expected to double by 2050.

To remedy the problem, Wyman proposes an integrated water management approach to take back control of the world’s most precious resource.

The Middle East is already feeling the pressure of their growing demands for freshwater sources and has turned to desalination and wastewater reuse technology to supplement their need.

The use of wastewater treatment in the UAE increased to 51 percent, which has provided more water at a lower cost. Increased water reuse application has also benefitted the environment by treating waste before it is dumped into it.

Leveraging new technology like water demand management, refining new ones while improving aging infrastructures can all be used to prevent water waste and loss from domestic to agriculture and industrial consumption, the article says.

Failure to address the current water problems and prepare for the future will result in substantial economic losses and steep dips in GDP by 2050.

According to the article, policymakers, water-resource managers, and service providers will have an essential role in ensuring that water sustainability and better water management are achieved.

Integrated long-term water resources planning continues to be a key tool in water, wastewater, and stormwater network future demand and risk analysis.

This planning needs to be resourced, and the water resource planning results integrated into your infrastructure management plans.