The Challenges of Water Scarcity and the Future of Food Security in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Abstract

This paper will provide an inside of the situation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a country that has limited fresh water resources. This fact in conjunction with the sever depletion of groundwater aquifers (which contribute to 70% of total water resources in the UAE). The sharp population growth could create critical challenges in providing the irrigation requirements for the agricultural sector, required to reach food security in this country. The main purpose of this work is to investigate whether the future watering requirements for crop production purposes could be met and sustained in 2030. This would be done through, reviewing the available irrigation resources and predicting the projected demand, required to cover the agricultural sector. The conclusion indicates that, the total predicted watering requirement depending on the groundwater resources for crops production would be approximately 2198 million m 3 /year. On the other hand, the year 2030 could be the first year with no more supply from groundwater resources. Leaving the future of the agricultural sector in a real critical situation, that can best be mitigated by adopting the best sustainable agricultural practices.

Grasses in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands: The Multi-Benefits of the Indigenous Grasses

“…Tropical desert (TBWh) is the global ecological zone (GEZ) that is characterized by severe ecological conditions including high summer temperatures, high evapotranspiration (ET), and low and irregular precipitation [1]. The sandy soil texture is predominant with high porosity, high water permeability, low water holding capacity, poor nutrient content, and thus low fertility [2][3][4][5][6].…”

“…Under such conditions certain vegetation can adapt and survive [5][6][7]. Such flora was for centuries a free resource that provides free ecological services including shelter, food, and medication [5].…”

“…Undoubtedly, it is very important to imitate the natural and original environment of the drought areas, through focusing on planting the indigenous grass species from the xerophytes and halophytes. Besides, the adoption of hardscaping and xeriscaping plays an essential role in reducing the heavy pressure on the limited available water resources [5,13,32].…”

A Sustainable Organic Production Model for “Food Sovereignty” in the United Arab Emirates and Sicily-Italy

“…Recently, a new competitive environment has been created in which the government has sought alternatives in order to increase non-imported food production, concentrating on local farms (free grants of land to entrepreneurs who are willing to grow food crops; contributions of up to 50% of the cost of fertilizers and technical equipment; distribution of artificially cooled greenhouses; urban high-rise greenhouses for local food production; etc. ), on new agricultural techniques and on organic farming in order to increase the sector's prosperity within the UAE [12][13][14].…”

A Multi-Satellite Approach for Water Storage Monitoring in an Arid Watershed

“…Treated water is also used in landscaping. Groundwater is mostly used for agricultural purposes and accounts for almost three-quarters of the consumption, whereas potable water is provided from the desalination plants [1].…”