UAE | Environment
GCC 'consumes more water than average'
There is a lack of updated studies and statistics on the consumption of water in the Arab world, said most presenters at a GCC workshop held on Wednesday.
- By Siham Al Najami, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:17 March 27, 2008
Dubai: There is a lack of updated studies and statistics on the consumption of water in the Arab world, said most presenters at a GCC workshop held on Wednesday.
On the occasion of GCC Water Week, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) organised a workshop on "Water conservation is the responsibility of all", bringing together leading officials in the field of water and electricity conservation.
"The absence of a comprehensive water resource management policy is our biggest problem," said Dr Ahmad Ghosn, natural resources programme officer and regional coordinator for UNCCD in Bahrain.
The UAE is considered the top consumer of water in the Gulf region with an average of 480-500 litres of water per person per day. Average consumption per person is 180 litres.
"Dewa has increased its production capacity and also concentrated on reducing water loses from 42 per cent in 1992 to less than 13 per cent now.
"This result is considered the best figure regionally and internationally," said Saed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dewa.
Agriculture
The daily consumption of some countries in the GCC is more than 600 litres a day, said Dr Ghosn.
The agricultural sector in the GCC uses around 85 per cent of the available water reserve, but less than 3 per cent of the gross domestic product results from this high water consumption, he said.
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