3.6 - Water Case Study: UAE (Paper 1)

Question 1

Explain the causes of water shortage in the UAE: (3)

Answer 1

• The UAE recieves only 100mm of rainfall per year and on average 26 and 33.5 degrees celcious annually. This causes a lack of water because 100 mm of rainfall is very low compared to other countries around the world and the high temperatures cause a lot of evaporation and transpiration which reduces the amount of water available. (1)
• The UAE population is increasing at a rate of 1.23% per year. This causes a lack of water because due to the higher demand due to increasing population. Also, the UAE has a GDP per capita of 44,000 and because of this people have more disposable income to spend which leads to more water being consumed unnecessarily. (1)
• The UAE’s agricultural sector is a significant user of the country’s limited water supply, using approximately 73% of the freshwater consumed. This causes a lack of water supply because they are using a large amount of the water that is potable which leads to a lack of water for other things like the population. (1)

Question 2

Explain how water is supplied to the population of the UAE: (3)

Answer 2

• In the UAE, one of the main ways water is supplied to the population is through desalination and 1 billion litres of water is desalinated everyday in the UAE. The impure, salt water is collected and is transported to a desalination plant. Salt is then removed from the water by boiling the water and leaving impurities behind. The water is then collected and supplied for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes. (1)
• A combination of cloud seeding and water harvesting is also another way of supplying water in the country. Cloud seeding started in the 1990s in the UAE. It is an artificial weather enhancement technique. Salts like dry ice and and sodium chloride is used. These salts form ice crystals which condense into water vapour and when clouds become heavy, they precipitate. Water is harvested at reservoirs and dams like the Hatta Water Dam and is then stored for later use. (1)
• In the UAE, agricultural is one of the most important sectors in the economy with 30,000 farms located across the UAE especially in Liwa and Al Ain. Many of these farms use water from wells and boreholes. Dubai has many wells and boreholes with over 47,000 of these. Water is extracted from an underground source found beneath permeable rock and is naturally filtered through small fishers within the rock. Since the water is already filtered, it can be supplied for use, especially in agriculture. (1)

Question 3

Explain how water is conserved in the UAE: (3)

Answer 3

• The Water Security Strategy 2036 aims to reduce average consumption by half. The strategy seeks to develop a storage capacity for the water supply system that lasts for two days under normal conditions, which would be equivalent to a capacity of 16 days in emergencies and enough to supply water for more than 45 days in extreme emergencies which can lead to water being conserved (1)
• The UAE has implemented limits of how much water each household can use. Water networks will be able to provide 91 litres of water per person per day. This can thus lead to water being conserved and minimizing the amount of water being wasted. (1)
• the UAE imposes taxes on water usage. In 2017, the UAE added 5% VAT on water consumption. This can cause people being discouraged from using so much water as they will be more cautious and this can lead to water being conserved. (1)