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In-depth look at water to help in future usage

ABU DHABI - The Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency (ERWDA) and the UAE Offsets Group (UOG) have completed a comprehensive water resources study for the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The 14-month study, completed recently by the UK's Mott Macdonald, lays the foundation of a water resources management plan.

It has provided an up-to-date assessment of the water resources and consumption trends in the Eastern and Central Regions of Abu Dhabi from 2002-2020. It focused on data acquisition and verification, the creation of a database for all water resource and demand elements and linking the database to geographic information system and supply-demand software to ascertain future trends.

The ERWDA was responsible for the technical management of the study in line with its strategic goal to put in place a management regime for water resources, to help manage the overall water resources of Abu Dhabi in a sustainable, economically viable and environmentally sound way that will allow the long-term socio-economic development of the capital.

The UOG sponsored the study as part of its mission to create wealth for the people of the UAE and promote sustainable economic and social development.

The study has revealed that at present total annual water consumption in the Eastern and Central Regions of Abu Dhabi Emirate stands at 2,486 million cubic metres (mcm), of which 1,692 mcm, or 69 per cent, is used for agriculture, 124 mcm or, 5 per cent, for forestry, 219 mcm, or 8 per cent for gardens, parks and roadside plantations and 451 mcm, or 18 per cent, is used by households. Of the total water used, 65 per cent is ground water.

The study predicts that in 2020, total consumption will increase to 5,858 mcm with the agriculture sector using 3,385 mcm, forestry 288 mcm, amenity planting 518 mcm and household water consumption will be 1,667 mcm. It also assumes that in line with the Abu Dhabi government's mission to conserve groundwater, the pumpage of water will reduce to 1,506 mcm from 1,624 mcm at the end of 2020.