A few days ago I read a great article in Arab News, written by Martha Rojas Urrego about freshwater resources, wetlands and our need to protect our natural resources. We need to find a sustainable solution to literally sustain freshwater for now and the future. Our survival and agricultural production depends on this resource. Here is an excerpt from the below link to the article online.
“Consumption of fresh water has increased sixfold over the last 100 years, and demand is still rising, with agriculture, industry and energy accounting for 90 percent of the total. At least 55 percent more water will be required by 2050 to meet the demand created by economic growth, urbanization and a global population of nearly 10 billion people.
Already, there is considerably less water per person now than there was just two decades ago. As a result, more than 3 billion people face severe water shortages, which often fuel violent conflict. By 2050, more than half the world’s people will be water insecure; in dry regions, climate change will aggravate scarcity.
Climate change is only one threat. Pollution is also exacerbating the water crisis. Unsafe drinking water is a potentially fatal reality for people around the world. Virtually all freshwater sources are now contaminated to some extent; not even Mount Everest’s snowcaps have been spared.
So why aren’t we saving and protecting wetlands? Their versatility is especially relevant when considering that water crisis ranks among the World Economic Forum’s Top 5 global risks in terms of impact. Their water-harnessing capacities above and below ground — counteracting droughts, floods and the impact of melting glaciers — are particularly important. …”
Read on in this link, or the article that appeared in the paper below 24 March 2021. https://www.arabnews.com/node/1831361
The second article is about Saudi plans for the coming couple of years, outlined at the Future Projects Forum, that took place in Riyadh. One of the projects concerns drinkable water in the kingdom. It focuses on desalination projects, as most of the water supply here is taken from the sea, and taking the salt out of the water. Many of the underground aqueducts that once supplied various areas in the country, have been over exploited and have dried up. Water is a major concern in desert environments. Here is an excerpt from the article which you can read at this link: https://www.arabnews.com/node/1831322/business-economy
“Majed Al-Rumaih, a water infrastructure planning expert at the Saudi Water Partnership Co. (SWPC), outlined the company’s goals for the coming year.
“We aim to offer desalinated water projects to the private sector, purify and treat sewage water, offer water tank projects and transportation lines, and offer water dam projects to provide drinking water,” he said. “We also intend to buy and sell desalinated and purified water, both treated and untreated,” he added.”
Written by Hala Tashkandi, 24 March 2021 for arabnews.com
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