His Excellency Eng Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI), highlighted that the Arab Water Forum, being hosted in Abu Dhabi, is an ideal platform to underscore the importance of the life-sustaining resource. He reiterated the UAE’s steadfast commitment to raising awareness of water conservation and to achieving water security and sustainability.
On the sidelines of his participation in the Forum, His Excellency Eng Al Olama noted that the UAE has gone a long way in conserving water resources through pioneering projects, such as water desalination plants and networks, and that the UAE is keen on collaborating with its international partners to improve water security worldwide.
He said: “In the UAE, water is one of the most important national priority issues, given our geographical location in an arid area, the scarcity of our natural water resources, and the high demand for water for development purposes. We work diligently to increase reliance on non-conventional water resources to produce fresh water for drinking and other purposes. Non-conventional water resources contribute 53% of our water supply. This includes desalinated seawater and treated wastewater.”
He noted that in 2017, the Ministry unveiled the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, which aims to ensure sustainable access to water during both normal and emergency conditions. The overall objectives of the strategy are to reduce total demand for water resources by 21%, reduce the water scarcity index by three degrees, and increase the reuse of treated water to 95%.
He added: “In addition, we announced the first hydrogeological map and geo-database of the UAE, a milestone achievement in documenting and managing water sources with the goal of sustaining and conserving water. We also launched the National Energy and Water Demand Management Program 2050 that aims to rationalize water consumption and improve environmental performance and efficiency of energy and water plants.
“In the UAE, we believe that innovation and international collaboration are key to sustainable water management. The UAE has adopted strategies and initiatives to improve water resources management, support strategic water reserves, and increase the area and efficiency of rainwater harvesting, with the aim of enhancing natural groundwater resources. The UAE is adopting advanced technical solutions to utilize wastewater to irrigate crops – a solution that contributes to cutting down environmental pollution and reducing the depletion of natural water resources.”
Speaking of the UAE’s efforts to provide irrigation water, His Excellency Eng Al Olama said: “The UAE mostly relies on wastewater treatment plants to meet its irrigation needs. There are over 140 wastewater treatment plants in addition to those run by the private sector. They have a total capacity of 3 million cubic meters a day and produce 768 million cubic meters of treated wastewater a year that is used to irrigate landscapes in our cities.”
A United Nations report indicated that the UAE has achieved an average of 100% in providing safe drinking water and sanitation services, and 79% in integrated water resources management, which is one of the best results regionally. The UAE seeks to improve this result in the coming years, by ensuring alignment and integration between the country’s water, energy, environment, and food strategies.