Dubai Municipality celebrates World Water Day 2021

Dubai, 21 March 2021:  Coinciding with the World Water Day 2021, which falls on March 22 every year, Dubai Municipality will organize a virtual seminar under the slogan "Valuing the importance of groundwater" in both Arabic and English, in the presence of a group of specialists from different countries of the world, in addition to the participation and hosting of various groups and segments of the society. 

The seminar aims to present and monitor the most prominent experiences in the field of groundwater and how to benefit from it and develop it to overcome challenges and achieve success. 

During the seminar, the most important achievements of the Municipality in terms of groundwater programs and how to preserve them will be highlighted. Dr. Zainul Abideen from the University of Science and Technology, Fujairah will be talking about the water sources in the UAE and the challenges and solutions offered. The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs will be represented by Sheikh Yaqoub Al-Hooti. He will explain the Islamic viewpoint on how to conserve water. 

Dr. Mohammed Dawoud from Abu Dhabi Environment Agency will talk about the development and management of groundwater resources in the UAE, in addition to that there will be participation from the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, with a presentation of a study on water demand management in the agricultural sector by Dr. Sumaya Al Yamahi and Dr. Ahmed Yousuf will explain the application of the UAE water platform. 

UAE University will be represented by Dr. Mohsen Sharif, Director of the National Center for Water and Energy, who will present a paper on groundwater in the UAE and the impact of climate change. As for youth awareness, Linda Miro from the Water Organization will present a paper entitled Youth Education Program through Environmental Youth Ambassador.

During the seminar, many Arab and international experiences will be presented. Dr. Makram Al-Shuhayeb from Lebanon will talk about how to study groundwater recharge areas using GIS and Remote Sensing, and Dr. Hani Sweilem from Aachen University in Germany will also talk about the sustainability of water use in providing food. In addition to that many working papers on the subject of groundwater and methods of preserving it will be presented in the event.

During the virtual seminar, a group of environmental films will be broadcast that encourages the preservation of groundwater, following the instructions of the program of rationalizing the consumption and use of groundwater, and urging community members to avoid using flood irrigation in farms, using environmentally friendly irrigation methods, and encouraging the use of solar energy as an energy source in the farms.

The seminar will be concluded with a set of recommendations that will be developed in support of the efforts to preserve and protect groundwater, and to highlight the methods of implementing programs to rationalize the consumption of groundwater resources in farms, which contributes to enhancing the sustainability of the economy and the effective use of natural resources, as well as spreading environmental awareness and preserving the environmental legacy for future generations, and the embodiment of Dubai Municipality's vision of building a sustainable happy city.

Groundwater policy in Dubai Municipality:
Dubai Municipality always seeks to activate the policy of preserving groundwater, under the slogan “Our groundwater ... its sustainability is a trust,”, by launching and implementing many projects and initiatives aimed at sustaining this valuable resource, since 2015. The policy includes six basic outlets, which are to define protection zones for groundwater resources, controlling the quantities of groundwater withdrawn, developing groundwater sustainability performance indicators, enhancing the economic viability of various uses of groundwater, in addition to developing awareness programs to introduce the importance of groundwater and methods of preserving it, and developing an integrated system for groundwater management in the emirate, which includes working systems and executive programs.

Water sources in the UAE:
Water resources in the UAE can be classified into two main categories: traditional resources, such as surface water (including Aflaj systems, springs and dams) and groundwater (shallow and deep aquifers), while desalinated water and sanitation come from surface water. Artificial seeding to increase the percentage of precipitation is not considered a water resource, but rather a technology for treating all kinds of water. In the arid environment of the UAE, groundwater is considered an important and valuable resource for water supply in all daily uses, and for social and economic development.