Water Shortage in Sharjah
Introduction
Sharjah is the third most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The city has a population of over 800,000 and covers an area of approximately 235 square kilometers. It is the only emirate to have land on both Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. As per history, Sharjah was one of the wealthiest towns in this region with a settlement in existence for over 5000 years. On 2nd December 1971, Sheikh Khalid III joined in the formation of the United Arab Emirates.
Sharjah contains the main administrative and commercial centers together with a collection of cultural and traditional projects such as several museums. The following are some of Sharjah’s unique landmarks:
- The Two major covered souks that reflect the Islamic design
- Numerous recreational areas and public parks
- Numerous mosques
- University City
Sharjah is about 170 km away from the Capital Abu Dhabi and it is bordered by Dubai and Ajman. Apart from the interest shown in culture, Sharjah has invested a lot in education and boasts with some of the best universities in the Middle East.
In the near future Sharjah plans to invest more in education and promote the manufacturing market in the outskirts of the Emirate.
The Problem
Although Sharjah has a population of over 800,000 people, most people staying there fall under the middle class category. They commute everyday to Dubai where they work but stay in Sharjah due to the lower rent advantage. Sharjah is facing numerous problems due to the increase in population, such as excessive traffic, electricity shortage, water shortage, etc. In this research we will address the water shortage that has been a major problem in Sharjah over the last couple of years. Water is regulated by the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA). There are countless incidents where various areas of Sharjah have been cut off from water supply for a couple of days. Although this problem has been going on for a couple of years, no solution has been found as yet that can eliminate this problem. The demand for water is exceeding the supply that is being provided, and to make matters worse, the population is increasing at a rapid pace.
The infrastructure in the city of Sharjah is quite low in comparison with other cities in the UAE. SEWA is focusing on enhancing the infrastructure of Sharjah now, which is creating more traffic issues within the city. Although SEWA has arranged for a 24 hour emergency number for shortage in water supply for their residents it does not help too much.
Problem – Where?
Arab countries have become synonymous with oil production and wealth. With only 4.5 percent of the world’s population, they control up to half the world’s oil supply. Less well known, however, is the fact that they get only 2 percent of the world’s rainfall and have but 0.4 percent of the world’s recoverable water resources? A total water resource of the 22 Arab states is less than 150 billion cubic meters.
Saudi Arabia has a booming population; it needs to spend around $60 billion over the next 20 years to meet the kingdom’s water needs. Rapid economic growth fuelled by record oil revenues is boosting demand for the desert kingdom’s scarce water supplies. Saudi Arabia is the world’s top oil exporter. Water demand is growing at around 6% per year
The company has already awarded two contracts to international companies to manage water distribution in Jeddah and Riyadh.
The kingdom’s current water demand is around 5.7 million cubic metres per day and would reach 10 million cubic metres per day within the next 20 years, he said. (Reuters)
Saudi Arabia and Germany have teamed up to tackle water problems and find out solutions to cope with the dwindling water resources of the Gulf region.
With temperatures in Medina reaching 40 degrees in the summer, residents of some people have been complaining of a shortage of water for days and even weeks. According to residents, truck drivers are charging up to SR300 per water tank.
Solution
The generally accepted way to meet the Kingdom’s increasing water needs is by building more desalination plants. Saudi Arabia is planning major investments in power and water over the next two decades. The new strategy will focus on managing supply by:
· Providing more water sources in the Kingdom in addition to underground and desalinated water.
· Recycling waste water. It is considered a major future water source as the minister plans to provide the country with five million cubic meters of processed waste water in the coming seven years.
· The ministry is constructing 115 new dams able to hold 1.3 billion cubic meters of rain water, equal to total water reserved in the past 50 years. The low cost of producing drinkable water from the dams compared to desalination plants will make dams a sustainable source for potable water
· Constructing a new water station. It will solve water supply problems in Jeddah.
According to Al Hussayen the ministry is currently spending more than SR62 billion ($16.5 billion) on potable water and sewage projects.
How can Sharjah solve the problem?
Using the same idea, Sharjah can solve the water shortage problem by building dams. The building of dams will be the response to the numerous problems which Sharjah is facing now. For example, dams prevent flooding, irrigate farmlands, generate tremendous amounts of electricity, and most important, they accumulate water which solves the water shortage problem. A dam works as a barrier across a stream to prevent water from flowing freely. Dams solve the water shortage problem by either of two ways. Firstly, in the periods of droughts, the reservoir behind the dam stores the water for future use. Secondly, the dam prevents downstream flooding when there is abundance amounts of water.
There are different types of dams depending on their method of construction, such as:
· Gravity dams: made of stone brick or concrete. They depend on their heavy weight to resist the flowing of water.
· Embankment dams: made of concrete and rock. They also depend on their heavy weight to resist the flowing of water.
· Arch dams: require less material for construction. They best suit narrow and rocky locations.
· Buttress dams: made of concrete and rock. They contain a series of supports (buttresses).
Conclusion
By building dams, Sharjah will be solving one of its major problems. It can also be the first step toward solving other problems like the electricity shortage problem. However, dams, like any other thing, can have some adverse effects. For example, dams can change the chemical, physical, and biological processes of river ecosystems reducing river levels, blocking the flow of nutrients, changing water temperature and oxygen levels, and impeding or preventing fish and wildlife migration to avoid that a number of regulations must be considered. At first it might sound very costly, but looking at the rapid growth of population in Sharjah and since we know that people from other Emirates will depend on Sharjah for residence, in the long term it will be profitable to build a dam.
References
http://www.wrmea.com/archives/July_Aug_2004/0407044.html
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/513909-saudi-to-splash-60bn-to-meet-water-needs?ln=en
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharjah_%28emirate%29
http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/General/10185206.html
http://cee.engr.ucdavis.edu/faculty/lund/dams/Dam_History_Page/History.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/dam/basics.html
This entry was posted on Sunday, March 15th, 2009 at 11:59 pm and is filed under Essays and Reports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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