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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WATERAdvancing sustainable groundwater managementin Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesDr Mohamed Yousef Al Madfaei, Executive Director, Integrated Environmental Policy and Planning Sector;Eva Ramos, Director, Environmental Analysis and Economics; and Hessa Abdelsattar Banijabir,Environmental Analyst, Environment Agency-Abu DhabiDespite being one of the richest countries in oil, the UnitedArab Emirates (UAE) is a poor country in terms of waterresources, with groundwater as the only renewableresource. Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, faces many challengessuch as water scarcity, increasing water demand and highlevels of water consumption from the agricultural sector, landscapeirrigation and residential and commercial use. However,the emirate is also trying to seize many opportunities in orderto use its limited water resources in a more sustainable way.Coming from the belief that one hand cannot clap, new policiesare being developed by the Government to increase cooperationbetween the different players in the water sector, starting withthe producers and ending with the consumers.“Water is more important than oil for the United Arab Emirates.”HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al NahyanCrown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAEArmed Forces, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Councildomestic consumption has a high economic cost and aneven higher environmental cost.Despite having one of the lowest water scarcity indexesin the world, Abu Dhabi also has high per capita waterconsumption rates. In 2008, water consumption was854.5 litres per day, while the world average rangedbetween 160-220 litres per capita per day. This differencewas largely due to outdoor use. Over recent decades,the expansion of agriculture with a view to creatingemployment, protecting rural heritage and makingAbu Dhabi less dependent on imported food has drivendemand for underground water to unsustainable levels.Simultaneously, a burgeoning population, rapid industrializationand commercial and residential megaprojects,and the low prices of water due to government subsidies,have created high demand for desalinated water.The demand for water in Abu Dhabi was estimated tobe 3,313 million cubic metres, 67 per cent of which wasserved by groundwater supplies, 29 per cent by desalinatedwater and only 4 per cent by recycled water. InMany challengesIt is always important to understand the problem and its roots beforesearching for solutions. The UAE has an arid climate and scantyrainfall due to a hyper-arid climate with less than 100 mm of rainfallper year, a low groundwater recharge rate of less than 4 per centof the annual water used, and no reliable, perennial surface waterresources. In 2008, the water scarcity index in the emirate of AbuDhabi was 33 m 3 per capita per year. Therefore, renewable freshwaterresources in the country falls far short of the water scarcitythreshold of 1,000 m 3 per capita per year (a measure of per capitarequirements to meet basic needs), and far below the water scarcityindex of most of its neighbours.Abu Dhabi has been able to overcome the limitations imposedby its scarce renewable water resources by increasing its relianceon non-conventional water sources such as desalinated water andtreated sewage water. In 2011, 64 per cent of its supply came fromgroundwater, 29 per cent from desalinated water and 7 per centfrom treated sewage water. The UAE has the third largest capacityfor desalination behind the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UnitedStates. Abu Dhabi generates 100 per cent of desalinated water fromcombined cycle power and desalination plants fuelled primarilyby natural gas. The growing dependency on desalinated water forUntil about 50 years ago, Abu Dhabi’s water requirements were metsolely from groundwaterImage: ADFCA[ 263 ]