(by Alessandra Antonelli)
(ANSAmed) - DUBAI, MARCH 29 - Food and water are becoming a
dangerous necessity for the oil monarchies of the Persian Gulf,
who import 80% of their required food and also would have a mere
three days of water supplies left, should the desalination
plants register a failure. A new specific policy regarding water
supplies is now a necessity. This is the general situation as
seen by the conference on food and water safety in the Persian
Gulf, organized by the centre for strategic studies in Abu
Dhabi.
The request for water has leaped from 6 million cubic meters
in 1980 to 26 million in 1995 as population is growing
exponentially. The last decade has registered a demographic
increase, whether natural or by immigration, of 43%. 70% of the
demand for water is employed in agriculture which accounts
though for only 2% to 7% of the GDP created by the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,
Qatar, Bahrein, United Arab Emirated (UAE) and Oman.
The scarce or total absence of water supplies, augmented also by population increase and agricultural development despite climatic difficulties, make the 6 GCC countries one of the world's highest water consumption areas. There are many challenges to be faced regarding the need for economic development and the depletion of water resources. Desalination remains the first and more reliable option despite its high costs rather than its import from Turkey or Iran, too vulnerable to interruptions. This new policy must be inserted into a wider political agenda, the international experts pointed out during the two day talks.
"The main challenges aren't technical", said Peter Rogers, professor of Environmental engineering at Harvard University, "they have more to do with institutional and financial capacity".
Water quantity and manner of use need to take into account urban, agricultural, health and energetic necessity, and organize it all into a national policy able to sustain development, said the professor to his other colleagues.
As the Secretary General of the GCC, Abdul Latif Al Zayani, admitted himself, there is the lack and necessity of an integrated policy between the GCC states which keeps acceptable levels of security for the approximately 40 million inhabitants in the region. (ANSAmed).
The scarce or total absence of water supplies, augmented also by population increase and agricultural development despite climatic difficulties, make the 6 GCC countries one of the world's highest water consumption areas. There are many challenges to be faced regarding the need for economic development and the depletion of water resources. Desalination remains the first and more reliable option despite its high costs rather than its import from Turkey or Iran, too vulnerable to interruptions. This new policy must be inserted into a wider political agenda, the international experts pointed out during the two day talks.
"The main challenges aren't technical", said Peter Rogers, professor of Environmental engineering at Harvard University, "they have more to do with institutional and financial capacity".
Water quantity and manner of use need to take into account urban, agricultural, health and energetic necessity, and organize it all into a national policy able to sustain development, said the professor to his other colleagues.
As the Secretary General of the GCC, Abdul Latif Al Zayani, admitted himself, there is the lack and necessity of an integrated policy between the GCC states which keeps acceptable levels of security for the approximately 40 million inhabitants in the region. (ANSAmed).
