New law to prevent abuse of groundwater reserves
Digging of wells and transfer of water in Abu Dhabi will require permits from June
The emirate of Abu Dhabi’s groundwater reserves will be more strictly monitored and regulated under a new law issued to prevent overconsumption of the resource, says an official.
The law, which was published in the Official Gazette in December, effectively places the government in sole ownership of all groundwater resources, and sets regulations for its use by individuals, farms and commercial entities.
Most importantly, farm owners and commercial entities that wish to dig water wells will soon have to secure a permit from the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD), the emirate’s environment sector regulator. They must also obtain permits to use water extracted from any existing or new well, and the EAD will set limits on the volume of water that can be extracted from certain wells and farms across the emirate, Dr Mohammad Dawoud, water resources adviser at the EAD, told Gulf News.
“The new law also strictly prohibits the sale of groundwater, and requires all users to apply for permits that authorise groundwater transfer or the setting up of small-scale desalination units for agricultural purposes,” he added.
Dr Dawoud was speaking on the sidelines of the International Water Summit, which wrapped up in the capital yesterday. The Summit was part of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week that aims to promote clean energy sustainability.
There are more than 100,000 groundwater wells across the emirate, and on average, each farm has two to three of them. Permits to dig groundwater wells were issued by the EAD in the past, but no permits were required to extract groundwater, and there were no limits on water pumping volumes.
Dr Dawoud said the EAD did and encourage sometimes come across the illegal sale of groundwater, and that the unauthorised digging of wells was common. While most of the new regulations apply to farms, other entities such as labour accommodation providers must also abide by them.
“Groundwater reserves in Abu Dhabi have been declining at an unsustainable rate, and when implemented, the law will help check over-extraction of this precious resource,” he said.
To that end, penalties will also be steeper, ranging from Dh2,000 to Dh30,000, and for some violations, a minimum three-month prison term may also apply.
As reported by Gulf News in 2015, a Masdar Institute of Science and Technology report estimated that 860 billion litres of groundwater are being pumped for irrigation each year.
At present, the bylaws of the new regulation are being drawn up, and these will specify the fees for each type of permit. In addition, the bylaws will clarify which wells must be monitored by water metres. Following a six-month grace period, the law is expected to come into effect in June.