Doha: More efforts towards water-saving technologies and enforcing strict regulations regarding water usage could help Qatar tackle water challenges, said Prof Hamad Al Saad Al Kuwari, Director of the Environmental Science Center (ESC) at Qatar University (QU).
While countries marked World Water Day yesterday, Prof Al Kuwari said in an interview with The Peninsula that Qatar practically has no natural freshwater because “most groundwater is depleted or encroached by seawater in the coastal areas.” He said this has made the country to depend on desalination as a main source of portable freshwater.
“The freshwater shortage is still the main challenge facing the country. There is a need for more efforts to use water-saving technologies and enforce more strict regulations regarding water usage,” said Prof Al Kuwari, adding that construction of dams to retain rainwater allows it to recharge groundwater, and implementing cloud seeding projects to increase the amount and frequency of precipitation should be among future projects to be considered. This year’s World Water Day is being marked under the theme ‘Accelerating Change.’
According to the United Nations water report, two billion people do not have safe drinking water and 3.6 billion lack access to safely managed sanitation globally.
The report added that the global urban population facing water scarcity could double from 930 million in 2016 to between 1.7 and 2.4 billion people in 2050.
The UN reported that 2.3 billion people, or one in four of the world’s population, live in water-stressed countries, while 12 of the 17 highly water-stressed countries are in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Blighted by a predominantly dry and arid climate with low rainfall and high temperatures, many countries in the MENA region, especially the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries rely on desalination to provide the growing population with enough water.
In a post on its official Twitter channel to mark World Water Day, Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) reaffirmed its commitment to delivering the best water service for Qatari society nationwide.
“We need your help with our water rationalisation efforts against the backdrop of the global water crisis,” the statement added.
Prof Al Kuwari noted that Qatar had taken several steps to reduce pressure on freshwater resources, including using advanced desalination techniques to minimise the adverse effects of the process. He added that the country has many modern sewage treatment plants that process high-quality water primarily used for irrigation. Besides, the country promotes using modern irrigation techniques such as drip irrigation to meet the sharp increase in agricultural production. Other measures include public awareness campaigns occasionally to raise awareness about water use and ongoing efforts to improve groundwater extraction and use.
“There is a need for more work on social awareness using the available media channels,” Prof Al Kuwari stressed.
“People should understand the cost of desalinated water and the adverse environmental impact associated with the desalination process, such as the sharp increase in the salinity of the Arabian Gulf water, which affects its biological system,” he added. On the research side, Prof Al Kuwari disclosed that QU research and funding focus on priority areas where water comes at the top.
He added that scholars are working on improving desalination techniques, reducing its adverse environmental impact, developing new plants that require less water or can sustain higher salinities, sewage treatment, improving water management, and many other innovative research areas.
Last year, the Unesco Chair in Desalination and Water Treatment was launched at QU. The Chair aims to facilitate innovative solutions to tackle water challenges in the region and forms part of the Qatar National Vision 2030 on water security.
