<span>Entrepreneurs are being offered Dh3.4 million in prize money to help reduce the amount of brine produced at desalination plants.</span> <span>The UAE government has combined with the private sector to launch Rethink Brine in an effort to solve the issue.</span> <span>Officials hope the challenge will encourage more researchers and scientists to develop new ways to tackle the problem.</span> <span>Brine is a major by-product of desalination, the process of making saltwater fit for human consumption.</span> <span>“While the desalination of seawater has enabled communities to flourish in the arid conditions of the desert, the by-product of desalination, brine, affects the health of marine ecosystems,” said Dr Shaikha Al Dhaheri, secretary general of Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.</span> <span>“Brine discharge increases the salinity of the surrounding seawater, causing a reduction in oxygen levels that [affects] marine life.</span> <span>“As the environmental regulator of Abu Dhabi, conserving nature and biodiversity is one of our fundamental responsibilities and addressing brine discharge is one of EAD’s top priorities.”</span> <span>Rethink Brine’s mission is to protect the Arabian Gulf’s ecosystem and encourage a greater focus on sustainable development.</span> <span>Officials also want to address the UAE’s water scarcity challenges and support the nation’s Water Security Strategy 2036.</span> <span>The competition was created by Sandooq Al Watan, a social initiative, in conjunction with EAD, Aldar Properties and the Emirates Water and Electricity Company.</span> <span>The announcement of the Dh3.4m prize money was made to coincide with World Water Day, which was celebrated on Sunday.</span> <span>Dr Al Dhaheri said the issue of brine discharge represented a challenge not only for the UAE, but for the world.</span> <span>She said the competition would focus on reducing the by-product and promoting it as a raw material to be used in construction.</span> The competition will focus on both reducing the quantity of the by-product and promoting it as a raw material to be used in construction. <span>Brine, which has a high salt content and can also contain residues of cleaning chemicals, is often pumped out to sea by desalinisation plants.</span> <span>Once there it sinks to the sea floor, reducing oxygen levels and destabilising marine biodiversity.</span> <span>“Finding a meaningful use for brine discharge is an incredibly important challenge,” said Talal Al Dhiyebi, chief executive at Aldar Properties.</span> <span>“If the discharge can be turned into construction material, this will further Aldar’s goals of reducing its impact on our planet and supporting R&D efforts into more sustainable building methods.”</span> <span>Othman Al Ali, chief executive of EWEC, said he believed Rethink Brine would go a long way towards supporting the country’s Water Security Strategy 2036.</span> <span>The programme was launched with the aim of reducing the total demand for water in the Emirates by 21 per cent.</span> <span>“We are developing pioneering new ways to more efficiently and sustainably produce water and electricity, using advanced technologies to reduce the carbon intensity of the system,” Mr Al Ali said.</span> <span>“This bold partnership will lead change in the sector and work towards the achievement of the UAE Water Security Challenge 2036.”</span>