DUBAI: A new report has revealed Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates consume the most water per capita in the world. The Booz and Company report said the two countries use around 6 times the amount of water than the UK. It said Saudi Arabia's water consumption was at 91 percent and the UAE's at 83 percent, and claims that GCC residents and businesses “disregarded the consequences of their water usage.” The report also said that green golf courses and grassy parks make residents think that water is not scarce in the region. Some two-thirds of water used in the region is desalinated, costing around $1 per cubic meter to produce and consuming 8 times more energy than groundwater projects, accounting for between 10 percent and 25 percent of energy consumption in the GCC, according to the report. “There is a general lack of awareness in the region, largely because of subsidies that disguise actual costs and obscure the severity of the situation,” said Walid Fayad, a Beirut-based partner in Booz & Company's energy, chemicals and utilities practice, in a statement. It comes as the UAE faces worries of water shortages and overuse. UAE Environment and Water Minster Rashid Ahmed bin Fahd said that climate change and the increasing stresses on water resources poses a concern on many levels. The minister's comment came during the inauguration of the 13th Water and Energy Technology and Environment Exhibition in 2011. He said that pressure on water resources in the UAE has created an imbalance in supply and demand despite state measures to mitigate the conservation and drainage problems in the UAE. The minister said that water resource issues are exacerbated by population growth, agricultural and economic expansion, and unsustainable norms on consumption. He said that beyond these factors, climate change has further heightened the problem. In a landmark move, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, announced on Thursday that an inaugural International Water Summit (IWS) will take place in the capital next year. “I would like to congratulate Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed for taking such a leading step in one of the world's most pressing issues, coping with aridity. Through Masdar, WFES and other initiatives in Abu Dhabi we have grown accustomed to seeing this young nation take leading steps to address world challenges,” said Dr Glen Daigger, president of the IWS. Fahd referred to a statement from the Sheikh at the conference, stating that water is more important than oil in the UAE, where drinking water is mainly produced from expensive desalination technology. The Middle East and North Africa is the most water scarce region of the world, accounting for 6.3 percent of the world's population, but only 1.4 percent of its fresh water supply. The UAE receives less than 4 inches of rainfall annually. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/UtPhJ Tags: Consumption, featured, Water Section: Environment, Going Green, Latest News, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
