Rainwater must be put to good use, FNC says

Amr Abdul Jalil Al Fahim, a member from Abu Dhabi, questioned the Ministry of Environment and Waters' efforts to make use of the rainwater, citing ineffective dams and rain drain networks across the country.

Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd and Amr Abdul Jalil Al Fahim.


Abu Dhabi: The Federal National Council (FNC) has warned that limited groundwater levels are plummeting, while rainwater reserves are vanishing at alarming rates.

Amr Abdul Jalil Al Fahim, a member from Abu Dhabi, questioned the Ministry of Environment and Waters' efforts to make use of the rainwater, citing ineffective dams and rain drain networks across the country.

"All efforts should be made so that rainwater retained by dams across the country raises levels of underground water tables and replenishes the underground water tables," he told the council.

He said the UAE's population boom and agricultural and industrial pressures are tapping deep into the underwater pools — but the dams built to recharge them by collecting rainwater are not working as well as they could.

Al Fahim also demanded that rainwater which floods streets across the country be used in agriculture or for drinking.

Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water, said rainwater harvested by dams since 2001 was estimated at more than 130 million cubic metres. He added dams are effective in retaining water and that rainwater replenishes the underground water tables.

"The UAE has 114 water dams with a joint capacity of 118 million cubic metres of rainwater. A project is under way to build more than 68 dams to protect remote areas from flooding," Dr Bin Fahd said.

These dams, he said, will protect 50 per cent of the UAE's mountainous areas or around 3,000 square kilometres.

The minister said feasibility studies are needed to make use of rainwater in cities. Rainwater retained by lakes or dams across the country in the recent downpour were estimated at four million cubic metres.

Dr Ahmad Murad, UAE University's Chair of Geology Department, said nearly 75 per cent of rainwater stayed on the surface of the ground while only small amounts seeped into the ground.

He added the problem was the fine soil at the bottom of the reservoir lakes blocking the surface water from fully seeping into groundwater tables. The sediment is carried there from mountains and higher ground in flash floods following heavy rain.

"The silt blocks the lake beds. To recharge the groundwater, the beds have to be maintained," said Dr Murad.

"The authorities are trying to do that, but they should also transport the water through pipes into storage tanks or pump it out over large open areas with high porosity."

Even though the dams caught millions of cubic metres of rainwater in the recent downpours, less than 25 per cent of that made it through.

Trickling away: Resource is wasted

- UAE annual rainfall: 40-160mm

- Evaporation rate: 2,000mm-3,000mm

- Over 250 litres of water is wasted by each UAE resident every day on average. The UAE's per capita water usage — estimated at 550 litres daily, is three times the global average

UAE Water Production

- Desalination: 1 billion cubic metres

- Treated water: 400 million cubic metres


http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/environment/rainwater-must-be-put-to-good-use-fnc-says-1.618436