UAE | General
UAE residents among highest water consumers
UAE residents are among the highest per capita water users in the world, consuming an average of 550 litres per day.
- By Rayeesa Absal, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:01 June 14, 2008
Abu Dhabi: UAE residents are among the highest per capita water users in the world, consuming an average of 550 litres per day.
Alarmingly, water ranked as the issue of least concern in a survey conducted by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) to measure the level of environmental awareness and behaviour among the public in Abu Dhabi.
The findings have been revealed after the authorities decided to reduce the usage of water to 350 litres per capita per day over the next five years.
The capital city is also implementing the Water Master Plan for Abu Dhabi Emirate to cope with the growing strain on its water resources.
Least aware
The survey revealed that people were most concerned about energy, while water ranked as their least worry.
On the behaviour side, pollution was the most important issue while water was less important.
However, some respondents demonstrat-ed some efforts and action in regard to water, EAD said.
"The survey shows dangerous levels of know-how on the issue of water. It is one of our main concerns. Once the data collected is analysed, EAD will revise its methods to effectively tackle this issue," said Maitha Al Nuwais, EAD Director of Environmental Awareness.
According to the UN's GEO-4 report, residents of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries are among the world's highest per capita water users and the West Asian region, including the UAE, is one of the most arid.
GEO-4 said the well-being of billions of people in the developing world is at risk, partly because of a failure to remedy the relatively simple problems which have been successfully tackled elsewhere.
While per capita freshwater availability is decreasing, consumption is steadily increasing.
Fresh water availability per head fell from 1,700 to 907 cubic metres a year, and that is expected to decline to 420 cubic metres a year by 2050.
There has been intense urbanisation in West Asia in the last 20 years. Inadequate urban waste management causes significant health and environmental problems, the report said.
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