‘TRUE VALUE OF WATER MUST COME AT A COST’

▶ Teach the public it is not ‘a gift from the sky,’ Abu Dhabi conference told

Water should be made more expensive to teach the public its value, and some hotels and malls should do more to preserve it, experts say.

The issue of how water is used in the UAE came under the spotlight during an Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week conference yesterday. The country faces challenges because of its climate and high demand and waste.

It was suggested that regulations, which could involve compulsory refitting of buildings to make them more water efficient, could be introduced across the country.

Frederic Claux, head of GCC at global energy and services group Engie, said an overhaul of water prices should be on the table.

“People tend to forget that there is a cost behind water,” Mr Claux said. “Water is seen as a gift from the sky but when you look at the infrastructure you need to bring water to your tap, it is a cost, and people need to understand that. So it should have a cost-effective tariff that incentivises people to save water or have reasonable use.”

Faisal Rashid, a director at the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, said an integrated approach by managing water from all sources had proved successful.

Desalinated water accounts for two thirds of that used in Dubai. Treated wastewater, used mainly in irrigation, makes up about a quarter and a small amount of groundwater is used in farming.

Dubai is trying to increase the use of treated water to drive down dependence on expensive desalination.

But Mr Rashid said that while regulation had been successful, there was scope to do more. One option could be to hold emergency reserves in households.

“Waste and using excessive water in some areas, whether it is in a shopping mall, hotel or commercial position – this is an area we can work on,” he said.

“Awareness can play only maybe 5 per cent of a role in terms of reduction. The key for government is to come up with policies. In Dubai, we have already fitted more than 3,000 buildings with water and electricity devices. We have already introduced a good number of regulations. Such initiatives move us forward, but there is still opportunity to do more in regulation.”

Fatima Al Shamsi, assistant undersecretary for electricity, water and future energy, said a strategy is in place to address the long-term challenges of water security.

The plan, which will hopefully be fully implemented by 2036, is a move away from “business as usual”, Ms Al Shamsi said.

She said the UAE was successfully moving away from thermal desalination of seawater, which is expensive financially and environmentally, to membrane desalination.

In the thermal technique water is evaporated and then condensed to purify it. The water is pushed through a semi-permeable membrane under pressure to remove impurities.

The membrane method is used in 14 per cent of desalination, which is planned to increase to 54 per cent by 2036. Meanwhile, new regulations are being developed for treated waste water, which should be finished by the end of this year.

“The water security strategy brings significant additional performance to the UAE water system,” Ms Al Shamsi said.

“I look forward to the positive change and towards a brighter and more efficient future for the water system.”

People tend to forget that there is a cost to bring water to the tap