Abstract
The aridity, population growth, agriculture and industrial activities threaten the water resources in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In UAE, groundwater quantity is reduced and its quality is also deteriorated due to the scanty of rainfall and over pumping for different uses. The deficit of groundwater is met by desalinated water and reused of treated wastewater. Agricultural activities have negative impacts on water resources and this causes reduction of groundwater quality as the agriculture the main land use in the UAE and it accounts for more than 70% of groundwater use. The treated wastewater is an alternative source for agricultural activities. To improve the current water situation, a national water resources strategy has been prepared and imple-mented to assist in achieve this target and maintain the country’s water security. This paper intends to give an overview of water resources in the UAE with emphasis on challenges facing the management of these resources.
Highlights
The shortages of water resources in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) became a big concern in arid and semiarid zones
The dependency on groundwater in UAE is decreasing over the time and this indicates that at the present time the country relies on non-conventional water resources such as desalinated water and treated water
There are many factors hindering the sustainability of water resources and these factors include the natural location of the country within the arid zone, groundwater deterioration, population growth, agriculture and industrial activities, and tourism
Summary
The shortages of water resources in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) became a big concern in arid and semiarid zones. The eastern and northern parts of the country received the highest amount of rainfall during the period of 2001 to 2006 due to its location near the recharge areas. Depletion of groundwater resources accompanied with increasing water demand in the UAE due to the population growth which put the country in stress and limited availability of natural water resources. In order to elevate and improve the quantity and quality of water resources, periodic assessment is essential to overcome the problems associated with water resources. This present study is aimed to assess the water resources in the country during the period of 2000 to 2006 and discuss the constrain that facing the sustainability of water resources. Collective Data of Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA), Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) and Federal Electricity and Water Authority (FEWA) from 2000 to 2006 were used to meet the objectives for this study
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