Abu Dhabi: The fact that natural recharge accounts for approximately 4 per cent of the groundwater being used in Abu Dhabi on an annual basis raises concerns about this dwindling natural resource, a senior official told Gulf News.
The only area that is routinely naturally recharged is where Abu Dhabi borders Oman between Al Ain and Al Shweib [but at a low rate of 4 per cent], Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General of Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), said in an recent interview.
Groundwater in Abu Dhabi is essentially a non-renewable resource. The emirate’s groundwater was laid down as long as 10,000 years ago in the last Ice Age, she said.
Most of the groundwater is used to irrigate crops, forests and plantations.
“We are now seeing significant signs of depletion of our aquifers and, as we use the fresh water, our aquifers are becoming more saline. In the most intensive agricultural areas, the groundwater levels are falling by up to 5 metres per year. Our groundwater use is unsustainable and it is a major challenge that we need to address,” Razan said.
EAD has developed a joint strategy and action plan with the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) to address the issue. “Our focus in this action plan is to use the water we have as efficiently as possible. And where it is available and where it is economically justifiable we will replace groundwater with recycled water,” she explained.
The action plan aims to improve efficiency by calculating exactly how much water each crop needs and supporting farmers and forest managers to use only the required amount.
The Farmers Service Centre, a government agency working in the farming sector, will provide specific support to farmers to help them achieve the target.
“By implementing targeted outreach programmes we want to raise awareness among the farming community about water scarcity, and work with this community to find solutions,” she said
The agency also seeks to strengthen the legal framework for groundwater to get the powers needed to achieve more sustainable management of the groundwater resources in a fair, open and transparent way, Razan said.
According to a recent EAD report the water extractions exceed 25 times the average groundwater recharge rate in the emirate. Groundwater accounts for 94 per cent water consumption in agriculture in the emirate and only one per cent of desalinated water is being used for farming.
Abu Dhabi’s agriculture and related sector consumes about 72 per cent of the total water consumption (generated from all sources; not groundwater alone). But the agriculture is generating just one per cent of GDP (Gross Domestic product) and less than 15 per cent of the fruits and vegetables available in local markets annually, according to the EAD report.
About 80 per cent of groundwater in farms in the emirate was found to be saline in 2011 due to over-extraction. Currently, agriculture is using just 5 per cent of the recycled water but EAD is trying to increase that share to 10 per cent by establishing new water recycling plants, which will help conserve ground water resources.
EAD is trying to explore renewable energy sources as well as to produce water. The agency has constructed 22 solar desalination plants that will generate 1,050 KwH of clean energy and 6,600 gallons of clean water per day.
These eco-friendly desalination plants are meant to provide drinking water for the Arabian Oryx, an endangered species, in the desert. Solar desalination is an innovative zero-carbon technology that extracts brackish water from groundwater aquifers and purifies it into potable water.
