Never has water been a more critical resource for the UAE than it is today, as the country's population and growth swell further.
The announcement last week that Abu Dhabi would host an annual International Water Summit further testifies to this fact. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, even said recently that "water is more important than oil in the United Arab Emirates".
The UAE is among the world's most water-scarce nations, while being among the highest per capita water consumers in the world. Abu Dhabi's consumption of water resources is 24 times greater than its natural recharge capacity. To bridge the gap, the UAE has long relied on desalination - for about 90 per cent of its water, according to estimates. But this comes with a very high energy cost, which is tricky when the UAE is trying to cut carbon emissions.
It's time for the UAE to reduce the environmental footprint of its water treatment sector, which we hope to do in part through the establishment of a new Centre of Excellence for Water Technologies, being launched by the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology. Work on the facility begins next month. More
