Jeff Stephenson, Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Oryx, a Qatar-based construction company, was speaking at the fifth community lecture organised by Emirates Environmental Group (EEG).

“Because natural aquifers are being significantly stretched, there is an increasing reliance on desalinated water, which costs up to three times as much as groundwater. It accounts for more than 50 per cent of domestic water use,” Stephenson said.

“Between 2005 and 2015, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries are expected to spend $24 billion in desalination costs, with Saudi Arabia and UAE together spending nearly $13 billion,” Stephenson added.

EEG Chairperson Habiba Al Marashi also stressed on the importance of water conservation in view of the Middle East region’s natural water scarcity. “The Middle East does not have abundant water reserves. The demand for water in the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries is met by desalinating huge quantities of sea water.

“Desalination has serious environmental costs, including using fossil fuel-generated energy. It is in the best interests of our region to minimise and rationalise water consumption.”

Stephenson pointed out that the Middle East makes up five per cent of the global population, but has only about one per cent of the world’s renewable fresh water.

Despite this significant delta between supply and demand and the region’s reliance on its neighbours and insufficient production measures to meet its needs, enormous amounts of potable water is being used for non-human consumption.