How Saudi Arabia Gets Water TERRIFIES Scientists

the technique of removing excess salts from seawater is crucial in making it safe and usable but this process of water desalination is also energy intensive Saudi Arabia is the world's largest producer of desalinated water is a critical resource for economic prosperity in a country and yet for the largest country in the world without a river and more than 95 percent of its land covered by desert Saudi Arabia boasts of the largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa region with a GDP of about 800 billion dollars in 2020 the country is home to the world's largest sand desert the rubao Gali would spans an area of about 250 000 square miles of the country's total 830 000 square miles thus making the country one of the harshest environments on Earth but with saudi's lack of local water supply the pressing question is how does the country manage to sustain itself so prosperously well the answer is more fascinating than you could ever imagine so sit tight as we explore how Saudi Arabia miraculously gets water in the desert for a country built on oil wealth it may seem ironic that a basic necessity like water poses a significant challenge amidst the luxury and abundance even the Saudi government acknowledges that Saudi Arabia with its population of 35 million including approximately 9 million non-nationals is confronted with a severe water shortage with demand increasing at a rate of 5 annually the country faces the risk of running out of water within the next two decades plus it doesn't help that the Situation's further compounded by predictions of lower rainfall in the future and escalating temperatures which would result directly from climate change the country is situated in one of the hottest and driest regions on Earth receiving only an average of merely 100 millimeters of rain per year but despite living in a desert dominated land with no natural rivers or lakes Saudis have become accustomed to paying minimal amounts for their water thanks to generous government subsidies consequently they've become some of the world's highest consumers utilizing an average of 350 liters of water per person per day in comparison the equivalent figure in Europe is approximately 130 liters per day interestingly a staggering 80 percent of Saudi Arabia's water usage is attributed to agriculture this is a result of the government program in the late 1970s and 1980s which aimed at achieving food self-sufficiency but they just didn't have enough water to make this a reality so in order to facilitate this some cities were provided for pumps and energy enabling Farmers to extract underground water however this didn't come without any backlash as the irrigation techniques employed during that period were rudimentary and thus often involved flooding vast trenches of desert for Chrome cultivation nevertheless the agricultural sector appears to be booming as the countries emerged as one of the world's leading wheat producers despite the fact that it takes an average of 1 000 tons of water to produce a single ton of wheat however in recent years the government has abandoned the self-sufficiency program and announced the cessation of subsidies and domestic purchases of Wheat and numerous other crops instead Saudis have been encouraged to invest in Land and Water Resources abroad through the King Abdullah Initiative for Saudi agriculture investment abroad this new initiative was brought about as a result of the escalating Water Crisis to address this crisis the desert Kingdom has increasingly relied on desalination plants for Water Production now you might be wondering what desalination is and how it helps in this situation it's a process that involves the removal of salt from seawater to produce fresh water fresh water is an essential resource crucial for sustaining life on Earth however its availability is limited and numerous individuals worldwide face challenges in meeting their basic water needs thus the process of desalination has become completely revolutionized by modern technology and due to Saudi Arabia's water problems the country stands as the world's largest user of this technology desalination plays a crucial role as a major source of water in the country since the process involves converting brackish sea water into potable water Saudi Arabia not only holds the distinction of being the largest user of the technology but also the largest producer of desalinated water worldwide in fact the saline water conversion Corporation swcc operates 27 desalination stations which collectively produce over 3 million cubic meters of portable water per day these plants contribute more than 70 percent of the water supply for cities and also fulfill a significant portion of the water requirements for Industries further they also serve as a vital source of electricity generation as a result of this initiative even though water scarcities emerged as a pressing Global issue that demands immediate attention contrasting situations Prevail in the Middle East with affluent Nations like Israel and of course Saudi Arabia continually adding new desalination plans to meet the rising water demand in Saudi Arabia over 30 Coastal plants process millions of gallons of water each day which is then transported hundreds of kilometers to major cities like Riyadh however as is common with modern day technology this heavy Reliance on desalination presents its own set of challenges at first glance desalination appears to be a promising concept if successful it could improve Global access to fresh water thereby enhancing overall quality of life in fact there are already thousands of desalination plants operating worldwide however it's important to also explore the potential negative environmental impact and drawbacks associated with this process according to a study the negative environmental impacts of desalination outweigh the positives by 2018 there were nearly 16 000 desalination plants worldwide but regrettably these facilities generate significant amounts of waste and toxic chemicals posing harm to the planet and Wildlife a to the study the production of approximately 95 million cubic meters of fresh water by these desalination plants also results in the generation of 141.5 million cubic meters of brine waste a staggering 50 more than previously estimated brine contains harmful substances such as chlorine and copper and it has a salt concentration of five percent higher than the typical salt water's 3.5 percent this is where the problem arises as the disposal of the produced brine is a challenge especially since many desalination Plants release it into natural bodies of water leading to adverse effects on marine life specifically brine discharge reduces oxygen levels in the surrounding water near these facilities the American Museum of Natural History highlights that sea creatures need to consume significant amounts of water to compensate for the elevated salt content in their environment in addition to its adverse effects on marine life Saudi officials are attempting to reduce State expenditures and desalination happens to be a costly endeavor estimates suggest that to meet the growing water demand as much as 29 billion dollars must be invested in desalination over the next 15 years plus the desalination process requires substantial amounts of energy which is why Saudi Arabia consumes up to 1.5 million barrels of oil per day to fuel its desalination plants even surpassing the entire daily oil consumption of the UK it increasingly doesn't help that desalination appears to be a middle eastern thing due to the wide range of deserts in the region even Abu Dhabi situated near Saudi Arabia and the Gulf of Oman has already established 22 solar desalination plants in fact they've also recently embarked on a groundbreaking Venture by collaborating with EO water a small French company to test a wind turbine that generates water ground mounted tests for the Prototype began a couple of months ago yielding an impressive daily output of 500 to 800 liters of portable water extracted from the Arid Desert Air Eon water envisions that the volume can be further increased as a past 1 000 liters by deploying the turbine on a base mounted system thereby enhancing wind speed tibble Janan EOS marketing director expressed confidence in the technology stating in Abu Dhabi we've demonstrated the capability to produce substantial amounts of water from air with humidity levels of 15 to 20 percent providing solid evidence of the Technology's effectiveness now although ER water was established in 2008 the original Gonza was conceived by founder Mark Barrow back in 1997 while he was living in the Caribbean and working as an engineer facing a lack of access to fresh water and tired of relying on bottled water paron devised the system to collect condensation from his air conditioner this successful approach prompted him to combine the idea with a wind turbine envisioning its application for off-grid communities pound further emphasized the interest in the Technology's potential to benefit remote communities in the Middle East stating that in the Middle East the focus primarily lies on what the technology can offer to isolated communities he referred to data from the organization for economic cooperation and development oecd indicating that an annual investment of 10 billion dollars is required to halve the number of individuals in developing nations who lack access to clean drinking water this investment in turn could generate an economic boost of 38 billion dollars in those regions therefore he highlighted the significance of their system believing that it empowers ordinary individuals with the means to avert a crisis that could potentially arise within the next five to ten years however to meet the demand for water due to Rapid growth and development the Middle Eastern Kingdom has had to adopt other Innovative approaches in obtaining this vital resource another primary source of water in Saudi Arabia has been through aquifers which are basically vast underground reservoirs in the 1970s the government embarked on an extensive effort to identify and map these aquifers estimating their capacity this initiative allowed for the drilling of tens of thousands of deep tube wells in promising areas catering to both Urban and agricultural water needs as a result these measures are essential for meeting the growing water demands of cities Industries and the overall development of this country but the country doesn't just rely on these two processes in a bid to gamcha surface water from frequent flash floods Saudi Arabia also relies on the construction of dams these dams numbering over 200 served to collect approximately 16 billion cubic feet of runoff each year in their reservoirs some notable Dimensions include wadi jizan wadi Fatima Wadi bisha and najran of course there's the question of how exactly water from the dam is being utilized maximally first the collected water is primarily utilized for agricultural purposes and is distributed across extensive networks of irrigation canals and ditches revitalizing vast trenches of previously unused fertile land this has helped recycled water emerge as a growing water source within the kingdom presently Saudi Arabia has set a target of recycling up to 40 percent of the water used for domestic purposes in urban areas in pursuit of this goal recycling plans have been established in major urban areas and Industrial centers such as Riyadh and Jeddah the Recycled water obtained from these plants is then employed for irrigation in agricultural fields and urban Parks ensuring sustainable water utilization practices and while still on the topic of a rationalizing water consumption Saudi Arabia also unveiled a national program aimed at setting ambitious targets to significantly reduce usage the announcement was made during the Saudi water Forum 2019 held in react coinciding with World water day on March 22 2019. during the form Abdul Rahman alfanley the Saudi minister of environment water and agriculture launched the kantra program this initiative designed to cut tail water consumption and promote water sustainability in the country even has its own dedicated website allowing citizens to register and pledge their commitment to water conservation The Forum aimed to Foster sustainability in Saudi Arabia's Water Management sector and to do this they leveraged International expertise in the field attracted foreign investments and promoted the adoption of advanced water Technologies according to the contrail website Saudi Arabia ranks as the world's third largest per capita consumer of water following the United States and Canada and through the Katra program the ministry of environment water and agriculture aim to reduce daily per capita water consumption from 263 liters to 200 liters by 2020 and further to 150 liters by 2030. the statement highlighted that Saudi Arabia has one of the highest per capita water consumption rates globally which is evident not in line with its water conditions and could go on to cause more harm than good for the nation at large another aim of the guantan program was to raise awareness about the importance of water conservation and proposed strategies for rationalizing water usage in both industrial and residential sectors everyone knows how important it is to conserve water but sadly not everyone practices these methods which is why another helpful aspect of the program was also the emphasis on the need for individuals to modify their own water consumption habits Dr Abdul Hamid al-zara advisor and director of the water projects monitoring office at the ministry of environment water and agriculture also delivered a speech in the Forum his speech provided valuable insights into the ministry's significant initiatives and projects further highlighting the Kingdom's water sources and their relevance to the agricultural Urban and Industrial sectors these water sources include desalinated water renewable groundwater non-renewable groundwater treated Wastewater and surface water in addition to Dr al-zara's insights Dr Jacob Tompkins co-founder and CTO of London's the water retail company also emphasized the need for sustainable water practices in Saudi Arabia he revealed how the scarcity of surface water and the depletion of groundwater Supplies Plus the Reliance on extensive desalination poses concerns about long-term sustainability Dr Tomkins Drew attention to California as an example where severe drought led to restrictions on water supply and prompted behavioral changes and technological advancements resulting in a remarkable 25 reduction in water use drawing parallels between Saudi Arabia and California Dr Tompkins highlighted the advantages that the kingdom possesses unlike the American state Saudi Arabia has the opportunity to plan and take action due to the absence of an immediate Water Crisis but this doesn't mean the desalination would be completely nullified while desalination will obviously continue to remain a necessity Saudi Arabia plans on leveraging Information Technology behavioral campaigns and optimized systems to transition from being one of the highest water consumers to becoming one of the lowest in line with these goals Saudi Arabia announced plans in February 2018 to construct nine water desalination plants on the Red Sea Coast with a combined production capacity of 240 000 cubic meters of water per day the project which was expected to be completed within 18 months aimed to supplement the existing 30 desalination plants located in 17 different areas across the country now although the Water Crisis in Saudi Arabia doesn't currently result in the loss of millions of lives it exacerbates the unsustainable water consumption in one of the world's most water scarce countries as is often the case with geopolitical and environmental issues the most vulnerable segments of society are likely to suffer the most if the government doesn't respond responsibly to the impending crisis fortunately the government has made attentive efforts through various programs to prevent such an incident such initiatives receive strong support from ngos worldwide who focus on various aspects of the crisis to help the Saudi people conserve their most precious resource water in addition to this by aiming to achieve 100 utilization of treated Wastewater by 2025. Saudi Arabia is positioning itself to become the world's third largest market for Water Reclamation and reuse following China and the USA currently the municipal wastewater treatment and reuse center in Saudi Arabia is valued at 4.69 billion dollars and given its size and potential for growth it's crucial for companies and private investors to gain a comprehensive understanding of this industry while markets such as League detention water conservation Technologies and design build operate contracts have witnessed recent growth the primary sectors in the water industry continue to be desalination new infrastructure development and wastewater treatment which is why it's important to recognize the desalination alone does not provide a comprehensive solution even though the production costs of desalination have decreased over time environmental and transportation costs must also be taken into account react being the largest consumer of water among all cities in the country receives desalinated water from a facility in Dubai which is located over 400 kilometers away pumping water over long distances is expensive and leakages are a regular occurrence during the process besides the transfer of Wastewater system management from the ministry of municipalities and Rural Affairs to the ministry for water and electricity in 2007. signifies a shift of the country towards recognizing treated Wastewater as a valuable water source as a matter of fact a case study has demonstrated that water savings through reuse and conservation in the natural gas and crude oil sectors alone can help conserve up to 222 million cubic meters of fresh water annually equivalent to approximately one-third of the country's Total Industrial water demand in 2009. the study also indicates that treated Wastewater has the potential to meet 26 of the urban water requirements in the Kingdom however it's important to note that treated Wastewater is limited to specific uses such as industrial purposes and irrigation of public lands and is not suitable for drinking nevertheless the existing infrastructure for collecting and treating Wastewater in the kingdom is inadequate in reality in 2014 the sewage generated in major Saudi cities exceeded the capacity of treatment plant by 250 million cubic meters leading to inefficient sewage treatment that poses risks to Public Health to address this issue the Saudi Ministry for water and electricity estimates that the sewage sector will require a 53 billion dollar investment over the next 15 years however although modern Water Reclamation systems may require significant uprund investment they also happen to offer substantial long-term benefits so keeping in line with the miraculous efforts that have gotten Saudi Arabia to be so prosperous despite its water problems the world can confidently anticipate the implementation of more policies favoring Water Reclamation and more Innovative approaches in dealing with their water situation let us know if you've ever tried the desalination process in the comments below and what are the processes do you think the Saudis can employ to generate more water

Channel: Nature Discoveries

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Keywords: Saudi Arabia water, Saudi Arabia water in the desert, Saudi Arabia, miracle, desert, groundwater, water source, rich, Saudi Arabia water scarcity, skilled diplomat, economy, geopolitics, agriculture, desalination, desalination of seawater, desalination plant Saudi Arabia, thermal desalination, reverse osmosis, groundwater management in Saudi Arabia, reuse of wastewater, climate change, wastewater treatment, drinking water, Saudi Arabia water sector, sustainable water supply.

Id: Z-F9hHh6wDE

Length: 22min 24sec (1344 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 13 2023