90 pc of rain water wasted in UAE - study

Nearly 90 per cent of the rain water in the UAE is wasted through evaporation and the absence of enough dams, making the country one of the poorest nations in water resources, according to a study.

An average 6.2 billion cubic metres of rain falls on the UAE every year, one of the lowest levels in the world, while only 10 per cent is conserved as underground water, said the study, published in the Oil and Industry News magazine, which is published by ADNOC.

"Around 75 per cent, or 4.65 billion cubic metres, of rain water is wasted through evaporation while 15 per cent is lost on the surface in the absence of enough dams and other conservation facilities," it said.

"The remaining 10 per cent or around 0.6 billion cubic metres finds its way to the underground reserves. Withdrawal from those reserves has remained as high as 113 million gallons per day because of the rapid growth in the population and expansion in the farming and industrial projects."

Despite its poor water resources, the UAE is classified among the biggest water consumers in the world, at around 90 gallons per person per day.

"This has prompted the UAE to carry out more water desalination projects to face growing demand. Production from those projects now exceed 272 million gallons per day and output is set to increase in the future," it said.

It said consumers in the UAE are paying less than 10 per cent of the desalination costs and urged the public to heed government appeals for preserving water consumption.

Conservation measures include avoiding using hosepipes in washing cars; cleaning garages and other places with a broom or other devices instead of water; washing vegetables and fruit in a big basin rather than one by one; and using water only when necessary.

"Also for example, use the shower when bathing as it consumes around five gallons of water while filling the bath could consume 30 gallons. You should also avoid leaving the tap open when you brush your teeth or have a shave."