Ground water supply running dry - expert

Ground water supplies in the region are running dry and water strategies and legislation to solve this problem at the GCC level are still awaited, warned a Bahraini expert visiting the UAE.

Dr Jamil Al Alawi, member of the World Water Council (WWC) said: "The other GCC countries are suffering from a wide range of common water-related problems, ranging from water shortages to the improper management of the supplies and lack of integrated strategies at the regional level."

Speaking to Gulf News, the expert said coordinated and prompt actions should be taken at the GCC level to tackle the problem. He recently visited the UAE and met with the officials of the Abu Dhabi Municipality to discuss the matter, but the outcome of the discussions was not revealed.

He said that besides traditional scarcity of rainfall and ground supplies, other problems have emerged in the region such as waste and indiscriminate usage of the water resources, increasing demand due to the population growth and lack of an indigenous desalinisation industry, which raises the costs of water management.

"The area is facing a sharp increase in the number of inhabitants but has very limited groundwater supplies, which are not renewable. These supplies were accumulated over centuries and once depleted will disappear."

Dr Al Alawi said that depletion of groundwater is higher than the water make up, due to increased domestic and industrial demand over the past 20 years.

In addition the sea water pressure on the shore areas is contributing to the infiltration of the salt water into the ground reserves, thus increasing the salinity of ground supplies and endangering the existing fresh waters.

He warned that groundwater should be preserved through better management and control of their usage for agriculture and environment.

"Desalinisation of water to date only meets domestic and industrial demand which is constantly increasing. But we have not been able to meet the environmental and agricultural needs due to improper choices made in these fields."

Dr Al Alawi observed that the establishment of agricultural and food strategies have to be reviewed to cope with a sustainable water management, but they are useless without a comprehensive and regional water strategy for the future.

"Some types of cultivation require huge water supplies and are incompatible with our climate. We should cultivate products and develop green areas which require a minimum usage of water. We can make choices which allow us to develop agriculture and environment according to the availability of water."

Dr Al Alawi also suggested that sewage water should be treated and re-used for agriculture and the environment. Currently either sewage water is not treated or it is treated but thrown into the sea.

Asked about the future of the water management in the region, Dr Al Alawi said the GCC will increasingly rely on desalinisation plants. He said an indigenous desalinisation industry should be developed for this purpose.

"Desalinisation plants are imported, operated and maintained by outsiders. We rely on external operators also for spare parts and chemicals. We should develop a local industry to cut the costs."

Dr Al Alawi remarked that the main problem amongst the GCC countries is lack of a comprehensive legislation and strategies to manage the water-related problems, as well as lack of a centralised management at the national level.

"Discussions are going on at the GCC level about an integrated water management committee, but legislation is still awaited."