Water shortages in the UAE

The UAE is a desert country, with very little annual rainfall, and so there is a constant problem of water shortage.

The most obvious reason for the shortage of water is the rapid population growth. More people mean more food and this has led to a growing demand for an increase in agriculture production, which in turn means more irrigation and therefore more water. In addition, the economy of the country has expanded enormously over the past 50 years. Industrialization has greatly increased the demand for water. The climate of the UAE makes it difficult to meet the increase demand of water. There in very little rainfall and no surface water. Wastage of water and leaking water pipes make the situation worse.

Desalination is perhaps the most obvious solution. It’s expensive but the UAE is a rich country. Similarly, making better use of underground water is not cheap but it would help to answer to the problem. Dams to store water when it does rain have already been built in Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. Charging people more for water, educational programmes in schools and colleges, and national advertising campaigns could also raise public awareness of the problem.

In practice, the UAE gets most of its fresh water from desalination plants. This is most obvious short-term solution. In the long run, however, raising public awareness of the problem and encouraging people to use water more responsibly is the most important factor in solving the problem of water shortage.