ENV-518

In Class Assignment 03

Readings 01 & 02:

Abstract
Lack of adequate amounts of water in the United Arab Emirates region is one of the severe issues
confronting its sustainable development strategies. The arid climate has a significant position in water
assets receptiveness. Rainfall, which is the main source of reviving various water resources, for instance,
surface water and groundwater, is inadequate and sporadic in existence. Heavy siphoning of groundwater
has decayed groundwater levels. The constant decrease in water storage will prevent the region from
attaining its sustainable development. To evade this issue, an integrated water resources management
(IWRM) system ought to be actualized. This paper aims at evaluating the non-conventional and
conventional water resources in the UAE and provide a clear strategy on how Abu Dhabi can deal with its
future water conservations.

1. The UAE Water Conservation Strategy.

The lack of water resources in the UAE states has influenced the lives and livelihood of residents. The UAE
is positioned toward the southeast of the Arabian Gulf and southern south of the Arabian Peninsula. Its
total area is around 82,880 km2, where 77 700 km2 is the terrain surface land. UAE's estimated population
in 2019 is closely 9.77 million. The UAE is comprised of seven emirates: Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al
Khaimah, Ajman, Sharjah, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi (Figure 1). The region is characterized by high summer
temperatures with rainfall that hardly surpasses 10cm per year and one of the ten most arid nations
globally. It likewise devours around 15% of the world's desalinated water.

It has one of the highest per capita water utilization rates globally (500 liters daily). With the IWRM
strategy as a cross-sectoral approach, UAE will target supplanting the conventional, fragmented sectoral
approach to deal with water assets and the managements that have prompted poor administrations and
unsustainable resource utilization. As a water, energy and food security nexus, the IWRM strategy will
integrate the three elements implying that the activities in any one specific area frequently can have
impacts in either of different regions. The utilization of water covers all facets of the fuel cycle, from the
extraction of energy assets, for instance, oil and gaseous petrol, to energy creation and power
generation.

The strategy ought to also add up to water resources demands by 21%, increment the water production
index to $110 per cubic meter, diminish the water shortage index by three degrees, increment the

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recycle of treated water to 95 percent and increment national water storage limit over two days.

Figure 1. Abu Dhabi Region

2. The Water Resources Management Strategy for the Emirates of Abu Dhabi.
The Abu Dhabi has a 67 340 km2 (approximately 80% of UAE) (Fig 2). As of 2019, Abu Dhabi
has 1.45 million populaces. Water and electricity services give the administrations that are
fundamental to help the financial and social improvement of the Emirate. It has a high evaporation
rate (2–3 m/year) and low groundwater recharge rates. Abu Dhabi totaled 244,664 million imperial
gallons in 2017, a decrease of 1.5% contrasted and 2016. The prompt financial advancement and
sharp populace increase that happened in the course of the past few decades have brought about
an expanding dependence on unusual water assets like desalination.

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Systems approach to IWRM case study
Baseline Data
To elaborate on the frameworks with IWRM, the information in the table beneath will be recognized. Its
water framework incorporates three main frameworks: stormwater, wastewater, and water supply.
Baseline data characteristics.

Service Area Water Supply Wastewater Storm water

 1.206 million City  51% ground water  16 waste water  889 km water
population. 2 surface water treatment plant. transmission
 72% irrigation treatment plants.  87% residential pipe network.
 3 groundwater waste water
treatment plants. volume
 Desalinated water
capacity (MG/D)
was 697 in 2017.
 244,664 (Million
Imperial Gallons)
of desalinated
water in 2017.

Problem definition
Steady with typical changes in populace development, developing policies and the antagonistic impacts
of climate change, the city's populace is anticipated to increment by 1.77% by 2025. Groundwater
withdrawals must be decreased by 30% and surface water withdrawals must be diminished by 10%. Dry
season conditions are common in the city, in spite of the fact that it has a past history with irregular
flooding issues. As a strategy, the city should build up a stormwater utility to subsidize expected
stormwater structure overhauls and actualize stormwater best administration practices to meet
government guidelines.

The operational necessities of the integrated framework are:

• Offering a reasonable and reliable wastewater framework to meet

anticipated increment in metropolitan demands.

• Offer a modest and solid water supply for the water system.

• Enhance water quality in streams by diminishing pollutant loadings of

stormwater preceding stream discharging.

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Methodology
To derive the operational aims solutions, numerous alternatives should be examined. In this case, four
alternative ideas for each one of the three primary frameworks is detailed and assessed. A various
multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) design is utilized to assess the elective ideas. Various shifting
relative importance (RI) for choosing the best idea for each of the three principle frameworks and the
overall incorporated water resource framework should be set up. The different criteria utilized, and
their RI is provided in Figure below. The criteria are assessed subjectively utilizing a size of 1 to 10, 10
being the best for maximization and 1 being best for minimization.

Analysis of Relative Importance

Co-benefits 10
Reliability 8
Risk of failure 10
Planning & Design complexity 3
Life of infrastructure 4
Operation & maintenance cost 9
Estimated construction cost 8
Planning & design cost 3
Revenue received 4
Flood impact reduction 5
Drought mitigation strategies 3
Water quality improvement 7
Total water use 5
Multiple benefits 6

The chosen framework subject to an examination utilizing the relative significance as depicted in Figure above and the
chosen criteria determined in each system:

• Stormwater: Irrigation and release into streams.

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• Water supply: Water supply, water system, and hydropower.

• Wastewater: Upgrades at existing WWTPs and municipal greywater reuse: Biogas, water system and
release into streams.

Analysis results
In view of the frameworks approach, the highest incorporated water framework for the city comprises
of:

• A forebay stormwater quality structure that treats stormwater by utilizing enormous silt and
debris pools upstream of lakes and springs.

• Hydropower production and irrigation.

• Enhances the treatment procedures and limit increments at existing WWTPs.

• Implementation of biogas production.

• Implementation of a prerequisite influencing all individual users to administer greywater

recycle.

Assignment:

a) Describe the future challenges that the region is facing, and

There are two parts of policies that ought to be observed while evaluating the populace's effect on
water resources. The main area falls within populace policies and the subsequent one deals with
water management systems. Due to the high net movement rate in the UAE migration in the nation,
management ought to be a key component of populace policies.

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The second perspective due to the populace's increase effect on characteristic resources is common
resource management itself. Conservation ought to be empowered, through awareness campaigns
as well as through high duties for surpassing certain roofs. Water resources ought to be assessed
and reviewed, and both trans-regional and transnational collaboration ought to be prioritized.
Key recommendations.

Decrease Indoor Potable Water Consumption

Utilization of portable indoor water can be decreased by installing water-

effective low stream connections for water closets, urinals, showers, kitchen
sinks and by utilizing non-portable water for flush works. The wellsprings of
non-consumable water are harvested rainwater, gray water, metropolitan
treated sewerage profluent (TSE) or recycled water. Waterless urinals are
accessible in the market, which can be utilized in commercial construction.

Lessen Outdoor Potable Water Use

Landscape irrigation employs an immense amount of portable water. The

water used in outdoor landscaping can be diminished through an incorporated
methodology. This incorporates utilizing a mix of water-productive irrigation
innovation, mulching, diminished turf or no turf grasses, utilizing non-
consumable or reused water, installation of sub-meters to track and log
irrigation trends and picking local and adapted plant species in scene
structure and utilizing xeriscaping techniques. Superior water effective
irrigation frameworks, for example, dribble irrigation, bubbler dissemination
frameworks and climate-based irrigation controller can be utilized to increase
the water effectiveness.

Decrease in Process Water Use

The standard building frameworks that utilize water incorporate chillers,

boilers, cooling towers, and washing machines. The amounts of water utilized

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in these frameworks are very critical. The techniques to lessen process water
use incorporate; utilization of non-consumable water, for instance, rainwater,
TSE in building plans and frameworks, for instance, cooling towers. Metering
of system water framework should be possible to gather data on water
utilization and to recognize spills.

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