الأمن الاستراتيجي المائي في الخليج العربي : دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة-دراسة حالة

Abstract EN

The arabian Gulf countries fall within the arid and semi arid region exccpt for the coastal zones and mountain chains.

After the oil discovery in the seventies, a rapid increase development occurred took placc in all life sectors.

The fast growing development caused a tremendous pressure on the already limited available water resources in which groundwater was the main source.

Despite the continuous development of new resources, the demand continued to increase in higher rates causing a water deficit that was compensated by over-pumping the aquifers causing their depletion ana salination.

The biggest challenge at present is facing the growing demand in the agricultural sector which forms the biggest consuming sector as well as the other growing sectos(domestic and industrial).

The total defioit at prcsont in the gulf countries is estimated to around 15 billion cubic meter.

Therefore, water security is becoming a major priority and expectd to be one of the major limiting factors facing the development within the next few years.

United Arab Emirates shares the same problems of the other gulf countries.

The water deficit is being mainly covered by over- pumping the aquifers(68%) and from desalinatd sea water (68%).

UAE is considered the second largest country in the world in desalinated water production (68%).

It's anticipatd that the gab between supply and demand will continue to increase proportionally within the next ten years taking into account the depletion of groundwater resources and the continued increase in demand increase in demand water security in the Gulf countries could only be achieved by the integrated and comprehensive management of the water sector among the concept of sustainable development.