ABU DHABI // Water supplies from the ground are at risk of running out within the next 55 years if the same amount is extracted each year, authorities say.
And a forecast lack of rain this year further threatens the supply.
"Rainfall has a lot of benefits because it recharges the aquifer system," said Dr Mohamed Dawoud, manager of water resources at the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi.
"So if we continue abstracting the same amount of water from the ground and it doesn't rain, this can be very detrimental."
Water consumption for irrigation in farms is about 1.5 billion cubic metres per year, or 50 per cent of total consumption in the emirate.
The aquifer system, a layer in the soil that stores water in its pores, is recharged with 90 billion cubic metres a year from the country's 114 dams and the Hajar Mountains on the east coast.
But with Abu Dhabi alone taking out 2.1 billion cubic metres a year, it will take only 55 years before the groundwater is exhausted.
Dr Dawoud said cutting the amount of water wasted by limiting the number of new wells, reducing the amount taken out and using new irrigation technologies could extend the aquifer reserve to 100 years.
One of the solutions the agency is working on is improving the quality of treated wastewater so it can be used more for agriculture.
"After treating it to a quality which allows us to use it safely, with no harm and health risks, we can use it instead of groundwater," said Dr Dawoud.
The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority will soon start irrigating 216 farms with wastewater that has been filtered and treated with ultraviolet light.
For now, treated wastewater is not suitable for edible crops, which limits its use to landscaping and recreational areas. They are looking at a process called reverse osmosis, a filter that removes particles, to produce potable water.
Others have expressed interest in the technique. Alan Thomson, manager of the Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company, which owns 38 wastewater-treatment plants, believes it could have potential.
"If it [the Abu Dhabi Government] takes that decision, it will be a good one," Mr Thomson said.
Metito, a Dubai water-treatment company, is also considering reverse osmosis. It already uses treated sewage for district cooling, said Samer Yousef, its senior operations and maintenance manager.
Empower is already using some polishing plants, which treat sewage enough for district cooling - and the plan is for all district cooling to use treated wastewater within a few years. "Usually, it's used from potable water which is a big waste," said Mr Yousef.
Metito built a sewage polishing plant on the Palm Jumeirah in 2009 but it has not been used yet because so much water is used for irrigation and there is no excess.
The longer-term aim is to generate drinking water. That, though, remains a way off. "The culture is changing little by little and later on, it will be accepted for human consumption, for agricultural human purposes and drinking," said Mr Yousef. "But it could take a decade or more."
He expects some resistance. In the UAE, he said, the idea of drinking, showering and cooking with sewage "is not acceptable."
For now, the UAE will have to consider other sources. Desalinated water could be mixed with groundwater to reduce the pressure on its aquifer system.
"It can be done and there are plans in the future to minimise its wastage," said Dr Dawoud.
Next May, the agency will begin using treated wastewater from its 32 plants in agriculture - effectively giving the UAE an extra 100 million cubic metres of water a year. That, insists Dr Dawoud, "will not have any [negative] health impacts."
In an effort to conserve dwindling supplies, the Cabinet last month banned the export of bottled groundwater.
It followed a recommendation from the Federal National Council, and a plea to the minister to help the UAE's drought-hit farms.
"Thank God, this is a great step - all this only from a small question," Musabah Al Kitbi, an FNC member from Sharjah, said after the ban. He believes media coverage of the debate also pushed the problem to the Cabinet's attention.
But with only 16 billion cubic metres of freshwater left in the UAE - much of the available water is brackish - the situation is pressing. "We are now recommended not to use freshwater for man-made activities in the future," said Dr Dawoud. "We have to keep it as a strategic reserve."
cmalek@thenational.ae
The biog
Name: Timothy Husband
Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
Favourite music: Billy Joel
Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia
Jurassic%20Park
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Remaining Fixtures
Wednesday: West Indies v Scotland
Thursday: UAE v Zimbabwe
Friday: Afghanistan v Ireland
Sunday: Final
Naga
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The five pillars of Islam
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
'Downton Abbey: A New Era'
Director: Simon Curtis
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: 3.0L twin-turbo V6
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 405hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 562Nm at 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.2L/100km
Price: From Dh292,845 (Reserve); from Dh320,145 (Presidential)
On sale: Now
More on animal trafficking
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,600m, Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
6.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m, Winner: Mayehaab, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Monoski, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Eastern World, Royston Ffrench, Charlie Appleby
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Madkal, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
8.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Taneen, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
