climate change on UAE - Stockholm Environment Institute-US Center

2. Current water
stress and planned
responses
Natural sources of freshwater are insufficient
to meet demand. The main reasons for the
water shortage problem in the Abu Dhabi
Emirate are related to rapid increases in water
demands across various sectors, depletion of
groundwater resources, low annual rates of
precipitation and groundwater recharge, and
so far, an absence of integrated water resource
management strategy. Abu Dhabi supplements
its remaining freshwater reserves with its large
desalination capacity, most of these plants run
in tandem with the power stations.
The little rainfall that does occur falls in winter,
and provides up to 80% of the Emirate’s annual
precipitation. These short, heavy rainfalls
produce the best opportunities for aquifer
recharge. Runoff occurs in the non-vegetated
Oman Mountains and collects in wadis which
drain into the U.A.E, eventually recharging
the shallow alluvial gravel aquifers. Rainfall
available for runoff and aquifer recharge varies
widely in both time, space, and geographically
though overall amounts are small in this arid
environment (Brook et al., 2005). Summer
rains can occur from Indian monsoons over the
Arabian Sea, rare cases of the Inter Tropical
Convergence Zone shifting northward over UAE
and causing overcast weather and thunderstorm
activity.
The booming economy and industrial
development in Abu Dhabi Emirate have
increased water demands in the various water
consumption sectors. Notably, the per capita
share of freshwater consumption has tripled
during the last three decades. The average annual
precipitation over UAE and the Abu Dhabi
Emirate has reached its lowest levels during the
last decade with severe implications for natural
recharge of groundwater systems. Groundwater
quality and quantity have deteriorated due to
the excessive pumping mainly for agriculture
purposes along with the extensive use of
chemicals and fertilizers in agriculture. A
detailed discussion of groundwater quality is
outside the scope of this report.
Technology transfer between applied research
and practice is a major impediment to
sustainable resource management. The gap
between the scientific advancements related to
water conservation techniques and application
of the technology is still huge; the slow transfer
of technologies due to both poor coordination
and poor networking among stakeholders.
Leakage from distribution networks has never
been properly assessed -low water use efficiency
and high water losses in the water distribution
system continue to thwart any efforts to
mitigate increasing consumption. The lack of
maintenance and rehabilitation programs to
improve and maintain system performance at
the highest possible level has contributed to
the severity of this problem.
The UAE faces difficulties in changing the
unfavorable social habits and attitudes towards
water uses and conservation. This is mainly
due to poor public awareness programs in the
Emirate. The education curriculum at primary
and elementary schools does not address water
conservation in an effective manner.
2.1. Regional Supplies: West
(including Liwa) and East
(Abu Dhabi City and Al Ain
Oasis)
The Western and Eastern/Central regions of the
Emirate face vastly different supply constraints.
Groundwater occurs in the Emirate as either
consolidated or unconsolidated surficial deposit
aquifers or as bedrock / structural aquifers and
contributes 79% to the total water demand.
The other water source contributions are from
desalination and treated wastewater (see Figure
‎2‐2 for a breakdown).
There are six main desalination plants that meet
Abu Dhabi’s needs. The Emirate uses several
different methods are available to desalinate
seawater; the three commercially proven
processes being distillation, reverse osmosis
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Climate Change Impacts, Vulnerability & Adaptation