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EAD advises farmers to use water efficiently

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EAD advises farmers to use water efficiently

For years now, the UAE has been the world’s largest consumer of water, with 500 litres per person per day, which is 82 per cent more than the global average consumption.

Published: Fri 18 Jul 2014, 12:36 AM

Updated: Sat 4 Apr 2015, 6:56 AM

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has come to the ongoing Liwa Dates Festival in the Western Region of the emirate to encourage farmers to become more efficient in water usage. Irrigation of date palm trees currently consumes about a third of the groundwater used by major crops.

Mansoor Al Tamimi (right) discusses the negative impact of groundwater misuse at Liwa Date Festival. — Supplied photo

“Dates are an integral part of our culture and are especially important during the holy month of Ramadan. However, most of Abu Dhabi’s dates are nourished with groundwater, a dwindling resource,” said Mansoor Al Tamimi, groundwater scientist at EAD.

“We have come here to support the farmers who have already been affected by the negative impact of groundwater misuse. We are encouraging them to instal and maintain efficient irrigation systems, obey the laws and report anyone who is involved in the sale of groundwater, which is illegal.”

For years now, the UAE has been the world’s largest consumer of water, with 500 litres per person per day. This is 82 per cent more than the global average consumption.

Worldwide, water scarcity is becoming even a bigger threat than climate change. Peter Brabeck, chairman of Nestle, was recently quoted by international media as saying: “We are going to run out of water long before we run out of oil.”

At the Liwa Dates Festival, which will end on July 18, EAD is also raising awareness of how the illegal misuse of groundwater has already impacted and continues to impact the agriculture by depleting the water table and increasing the salinity of the remaining reserves. In parts of Abu Dhabi, levels are falling by up to five metres each year.

Since 2010, industries and governments have had to increasingly invest in water, be it in water treatment plants, desalination plants or just water pipelines. The global water market is now $550 billion and growing by 3.5% every year.

Agriculture remains the biggest water consumer worldwide.

silvia@khaleejtimes.com



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