Dubai: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) organised awareness activities to mark World Water Day on Friday, with this year’s theme being ‘Leaving no one behind.’
This is part of Dewa’s strategy to promote awareness of the need to conserve natural resources.
Activities at Dewa’s offices aimed to inform customers and employees about the importance of following a sustainable lifestyle by using electricity and water wisely. Dewa also organised an awareness activity at Global Village in Dubai that targeted visitors from different age groups.
Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, managing director and chief executive officer of DEWA, said: “Dewa is committed to increasing awareness among community members on environmental and sustainability issues and the importance of rationalising the use of natural resources, especially water which is at the centre of economic and social development, and its security is among the top global risks.
“Population and economic growth have placed unprecedented pressures on water, with water scarcity affecting over 40 per cent of the world’s population. The Middle East and North Africa is the most water-scarce region in the world, with over 60 per cent of the region’s population living in areas with high or very high surface water stress, compared with a global average of about 35 per cent,” added Al Tayer.
“The wise leadership in the UAE attaches great importance to water security, which is one of the seven strategic sectors of the National Innovation Strategy, and one of the main pillars of UAE Vision 2021.
“The UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 aims to ensure sustainable access to water during both normal and emergency conditions. At Dewa, we have a comprehensive approach to ensure the sustainability of water resources in line with the Dubai Integrated Water Resource Management Strategy, which focuses on enhancing water resources, rationalising water consumption, and using cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions to reduce water consumption by 30 per cent by 2030.
“World Water Day is an invitation to all members of society to conserve natural resources, especially water. It is also an invitation for governments and relevant organisations to work together to provide sustainable solutions to use water more efficiently and raise awareness about its challenges in the region, to ensure water security and sustainability of water resources for generations to come,” said Al Tayer.
Dewa’s conservation programmes and initiatives over the past 10 years have achieved significant savings in electricity and water. Between 2009 and 2018, cumulative savings in target groups reached 2 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity and 7.4 billion gallons of water, equivalent to Dh1.2 billion. These savings were achieved in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, educational institutions, governmental and semi-governmental organisations. These savings are equivalent to an annual electricity consumption from approximately 305,000 apartments and annual water consumption of 241,000 apartments. This has contributed to reducing one million tonnes of carbon emissions equivalent to planting 1.2 million trees and the consumption of 122 million LED lights, while water saving was equivalent to filling up 13,000 Olympic swimming pools.
Five ways to save water
- Fix leaks as soon as possible
- Turn off the tap while brushing teeth and reduce shower time
- Water plants in the morning
- Don’t run the dishwasher until it’s full
- Use a spray bottle to clean
