Developing a dynamic approach to water budgeting for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi: final report

Developing a dynamic approach to water budgeting for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi: final report

Water demand in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi has increased significantly over the last decades. The largest demand sectors are agriculture, forests and parks followed by the residential and government sectors. According to previous studies, the main driving forces are population growth, economic development and changes in lifestyle that have increased the water demand for irrigation, human consumption and industrial processes. Several public policies intensified this water demand. Some of these are the expansion of agriculture with a view to protecting the rural heritage and making Abu Dhabi less dependent on imported food; desert greening policies with a view to providing a habitat for wild animals and stabilizing the sand around roads; development of public parks to enhance the aesthetic value of outdoor spaces; residential and commercial megaprojects with a view to catering for the local population and a growing tourism industry; and industrialization driven by the government’s diversification effort into non-oil industries.

This report provides a comprehensive assessment of the current state of water sources and demands in Emirate of Abu Dhabi prepared through a rigorous analysis of the data gained from a literature review of published research articles, reports and through discussions during stakeholders’ workshops. Brief description of the developed model and its sensitivity to different inputs and calibration of demands drivers are then presented. The ultimate aim of the developed model is to help inform better management of the scarce water resources by identifying potential reductions in demands from various interventions assuming constant supply for a series of scenarios for the Emirate until 2050.

The work reported here involves three stages. First stage involves development of the static baseline for supply and demand of the Abu Dhabi water budget. The second stage involves development of the dynamic water budget including the identification and engagement of data sources and
dissemination of the model. The third stage considers the development of scenarios framework and assessment of future needs as per the projected conditions of demands and supply.

Unpublished report.