Transcript Guidelines for Groundwater Protection and Pollution Control in the

R&D Needs and Technological
Tools for Water Management in
the GCC Countries
Prof. Waleed K Al-Zubari
Arabian Gulf University
[email protected]
Overview


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
Introduction
GCC Water Resources & Use
Alternative Scenarios for Water Policies
GCC Water Resources Management Strategies
 Demand Management in Agricultural
 Supply Augmentation
 Desalination
 Wastewater Treatment
Suggested Framework
Introduction


Arid to extremely arid climatic conditions
 Small and irregular rainfall in space & time (<100 mm/yr)
 High evaporation rates ( >3000 mm/yr)
Generally devoid of surface water resources, depends
mainly on groundwater, desalination, and reuse of TSE
250
Rainfall, mm
200
150
100
50
0
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
Year
1980
1990
2000
Cont., Introduction
Accelerated development growth since the mid 1970s
Increase in the economic base, rapid improvement in the
standard of living, and high rates of development
High population growth rates (>3%)
Substantial increase in water demands

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

GCC Total Water Demands, Bcm
40
40
30
30
Billion Cubic Meter
Population, million
GCC Population, Millions
20
10
20
10
0
0
1950
1960
1970
Year
1980
1990
2000
1970
1980
1990
Year
2000
Cont., Introduction
Per Capita
Available Water
Share in GCC
1950-2000
1750
35
1500
30
1250
25
1000
20
750
15
500
10
250
5
0
0
1950
1960
1970
1980
Year
1990
2000
Population, million

Scarcity of natural water resources is aggravated by
high population growth
Water is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity
and its availability is decreasing with time
Per Capita m3

Cont., Introduction

If this situation continue, GCC countries will
experience a series of major water
problems due to:


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
Escalating water demands and lack of effective
conservation measures
Continuous deterioration of groundwater
resources
Slow rates of water resources augmentation
Modest programs for wastewater treatment in
rapidly developing urban communities
Lack of solution to the issue of population
growth
GCC Water Resources & Use
Desalinated Treated
Water
Wastewater
7.2%
1.7%
Main
Pressures
Agricultural Policies
Agricultural
Population &
Urbanization
Growing!
Municipal
Industrial
Groundwater
91%
85.1%
13.7%
1.2%
Alternative Scenarios for Water Policies
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
Essentially 3 future policy options available
 Population Policy change (high political risk, long term
impact)
 Agricultural Policy change (medium political risk,
medium term impact)
 Water Policy change (lower political risk, short term
impact)
 Combination of two or three of the above
Selected: Water Policies: 3 extreme scenarios
 Scenario I: Baseline Scenario (Do nothing!)
 Scenario II: Augmentation of Water Supply (continue
current policies)
 Scenario III: Augmentation and Policy Remedies
Cont., Alternative Scenarios for Water Policies

Proposed Policies for Scenario III
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

Focusing on demand management, conservation,
and protection
Priority of water supply for domestic, agriculture,
and Industry, respectively
Rational water use & allocation
Groundwater management and protection
Increase water use efficiency & economic
productivity
Water pollution control and environmental
protection
Institutional reforms and capacity building
Cont., Alternative Scenarios for Water Policies
GCC Future Water Balance
DEFICIT
0
Water Balance, Bcm
-5
-10
Scenario III
Augmentation & Policy
Remedies (WDM)
Scenario II
Supply Augmentation
-15
-20
-25
-30
Scenario I
-35
Baseline Scenario
-40
1995
2000
2005
2010
Year
2015
2020
2025
Water Resources Management
Strategies
1. Demand Management & Conservation in
the Agricultural Sector
2. Supply Management & Augmentation:
Desalination & Treated Wastewater
Demand Management in the
Agricultural Sector
Increase in Areas under Irrigation in GCC, 1965-2002
2000
100
90
KSA (LS)
1600
80
1400
70
1200
60
1000
UAE (RS)
800
40
Kuwait (RS)
600
30
Bahrain (RS)
400
Qatar (RS)
200
0
1965
50
Oman (RS)
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1000 ha
1000 ha
1800
20
10
1995
2000
0
2005
Years
FAOSTAT, 2004
Cont., Water Management Strategies
Example: Wadi Al-Sarhan, KSA
Irrigation Water Share of Total Groundwater
Abstraction in the GCC, 2000
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Bahrain
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
Saudi
Arabia
UAE
Total
WB, 2005
Cont., Water Management Strategies
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Agriculture is now the main groundwater
consumer (85%)
Irrigation efficiencies low at 30-45%; major
“real” water savings can be achieved!
Traditional irrigation practices
Lack of monitoring & tariffs for irrigation water
Low value & high water consumption crops
Urgent need to apply demand management
tools
To move towards modern irrigation and
agricultural techniques (e.g., soilless
culture)
Cont., Water Management Strategies
Desertification of Agricultural
Lands due to Water
degradation, Bahrain
Cont., Water Management Strategies

Agricultural Sector Constraints
 Water (quantity & quality)
 Lands and Soil (limited arable lands, majority
infertile)
 Climate (restrictive, high evaporation losses due to
use of traditional agricultural methods)
 Low agricultural sector contribution GDP (less than
1%, and decreasing)
 Low employment of national working force (mainly
unskilled foreign labor)
 Comparative advantage (heavy subsidies), free
trade, and external competition
Cont., Water Management Strategies

A Proposed Area of Solution

Modern Agricultural Techniques: Soil-less Agriculture
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To over-come agricultural constraints
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To achieve sustainable agriculture (expanding)
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To create more national employment opportunities
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Increase agricultural sector contribution to the GDP

Enhance Food Security
‫‪Modern vs. Traditional Agricultural Systems‬‬
‫زراعة مدفئة (الشتاء) ومبردة‬
‫(الصيف)‬
‫ري بالتنقيط (مياه قليلة امللوحة‬
‫وبمحلول مغذي) يعاد تدويرها‬
‫باستمرار‬
‫زراعة محمية‬
‫زراعة بدون تربة‬
‫(خفان)‬
‫الزراعة املحمية املتطورة والزراعة بدون تربة‬
‫زراعة مدفئة (الشتاء) غير‬
‫مبردة (الصيف)‬
‫ري بالتنقيط (مياه‬
‫جوفية)‬
‫زراعة محمية‬
‫زراعة في التربة‬
‫مسمدة‬
‫الزراعة املحمية التقليدية السائدة بدول‬
‫الخليج العربي‬
Experimental Results
Water Cost (L/Kg): savings 74-94%
100
94
90
90
1400
91
85
80
1220
Soilless
In Soil
1200
74
1000
70
Liters/Kg
% Water Saving
91
60
50
40
30
800
800
738
600
400
239
20
200
10
147
134
71
62
23
14
71
66
0
0
Cucumber
Wafi
Cucumber
Priddy
Tomatoe
Nina
Tomatoe
Anoud
Okra
Cucumber
Wafi
Beans
Cucumber
Priddy
Tomatoe
Nina
Tomatoe
Anoud
Okra
Beans
Land Productivity (kg/m2 area): increase 200-900%
2000
35
1734
1800
30.4
1600
30
1400
25
1000
901
Kg/m2
%
1200
911
800
Soilless
In Soil
27.8
20
15
11.9
10.3
600
10
395
400
209
285
5
200
3.4
3.1
3.0
0.6
0
2.0
0.9
1.1 0.4
0
Cucumber Cucumber
Wafi
Priddy
Tomatoe
Nina
Tomatoe
Anoud
Okra
Beans
Cucumber Wafi
Cucumber
Priddy
Tomatoe Nina
Tomatoe
Anoud
Okra
Beans
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Vision
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Establishment of “Agri-Industrial Parks”
Contribute to food security without
endangering water security
Help in the transformation of the agricultural
sector from a marginal sector to a
sustainable expanding sector
Contribute to national economy
Create small & medium size national
projects to enhance socio-economic
development
Supply Augmentation: Desalination
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Currently the main source of water to meet spiraling
domestic water supply requirements (quantity &
quality) in major cities in GCC
Used directly or blended blended with groundwater
Development of
Desalination
Capacity
in GCC Countries,
1980-2000
Billion cubic meters
3
2
1
0
1975
1980
1985
1990
Year
1995
2000
Cont., Water Management Strategies
Desalination Capacity in the GCC Countries
(43% of world total capacity)
ESCWA, 2001
Cont., Water Management Strategies
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Extensive installation of desalination plants, but
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Desalination Cost
 Total cost of desalination plants installed up to 2001
is US$ 21 billion (heavy burden on national budget)
 Average production cost in GCC range: US$ 1-2/m3
(compared to current US$ 0.70/m3)
 Operating life (15-25 years)
Environmental impacts
 Marine pollution (thermal, brine, residual treatment
chemicals, ..)
 Air pollution by emitted oxides (mostly using oil)
Imported Technology: GCC still do not own the
technology completely, does not add to the
national economy
Cont., Water Management Strategies
Goals of Desalination R&D in GCC (Bushnak,
2002)
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Reduce Desalination Cost
Increase Reliability of Desalination as a Water
Resource
Increase Value Added to GCC Economy from
Desalination Projects
Reduce Environmental Impact
Enhance Cooperation among GCC and Arab
Countries
Cont., Water Management Strategies
Reducing the Cost of Desalinated Water
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Reducing Capital Cost of Plants / New
Material
Reducing the cost of O&M and Energy
Consumption
Extending the Economic Life of Plants
Increasing Value Added by Co-generation
Developing Innovative Less Costly Processes
Cont., Water Management Strategies
Increasing Reliability of Desalination as a
Water Resource
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Localizing O&M and Plant Refurbishment
Strategic Storage of Excess Desalinated
Water using ASR Techniques
Localizing Design, Fabrication and
Construction of Plants
Local Manufacturing of Key Spare Parts &
Components
Cont., Water Management Strategies
Increasing Value Added to GCC Economy
from Desalination
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Qualifying Local Labor to Work in Desalination
Industry
Localizing Design, Fabrication, & Construction
Capabilities
Maximizing the Benefits of Co-generation
Coordinating Energy Policy with Water &
Power Policy
Recovery of Rare Minerals from Desalination
Brines (Li, Br, etc..)
Supply Augmentation: Treated Wastewater
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
Reused TSE does not exceed 12%
the available domestic water
supply, and about 60% of treated
wastewater
1,500
1,000
reused

treated

Driven by escalating urban water consumption
Almost all countries operating modern treatment facilities
with tertiary and advanced treatment
TSE represents only about 20% of the total municipal
water volumes
4,500
Wastewater discharge and health
4,000
hazard problems (pollution of
3,500
shallow groundwater, coastlines
3,000
and marine environment, water
2,500
table rise in urban centers)
2,000
million cubic meters per year
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of
500
0
1
2
3
Cont., Water Management Strategies
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Many Constraints for reuse (Al-Zubari, 2001)
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Public Attitude
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Heavy minerals accumulation in soil
Industrial waste discharge in domestic waste
networks
Microbial pollution (to design conventional
treatment plants that complies with the
requirement of the WHO Health guidelines
for treated wastewater reuse)
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Suggested Framework
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Giving WATER a prominent place in the national
and regional agendas
Adoption of proactive strategic Integrated Water
Resources Planning and Management
A strong shift towards demand management,
conservation, and protection
Major regional investments and cooperation in
 R&D in non-conventional water technologies
(desalination and treatment technologies)
 R&D Modern Agricultural technologies
Thank
You!