Alternative water policies for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries

Abstract

The Gulf Cooperation Council countries are characterized by extremely arid climate and are in general devoid of reliable surface water supplies and depend primarily on groundwater (90%) and desalination (7.8%) of seawater to meet their water requirements. Since the early 1970s, these countries have experienced rapid population growth, and an accelerated social, agricultural, and industrial development, resulting from the sudden increase in oil revenues. Accompanying this growth has been substantial increase in water demands. which has placed great pressures on the region's limited water resources. Currently, all Gulf Cooperation Council countries are experiencing water deficits totaling more than 15 billion cubic meters (Bcm). Three scenarios are considered in this paper for the period 1995–2025: 1) business as usual, 2) supply augmentation, and 3) supply augmentation and policy remedies. In the third scenario, a major review and shift in water policies, emphasizing conservation and demand management, are suggested and outlined, with the overall objective of securing long term water supplies while meeting strict criteria for socio-economic, financial and environmental sustainability and public health requirements. The results of this study indicate that the Gulf Cooperation Council countries would continue to experience a deficit in their water resources for all three scenarios, although it is lesser in the third scenario, if their targets of maximum food security are adhered to, and their population growth rates continue as projected. However, the successful implementation of the proposed policies in the third scenario would be the milestone for paving the long intricate path towards coping with the water scarcity in this arid region.