Qatar Urged to Adopt Measures to Combat Water Security Challenges

(MENAFN) As global water stress continues to escalate, Qatar has been advised to take proactive measures to combat the growing challenges of water security. The country could adopt several strategies such as increasing public consciousness about water usage, using retreated water for irrigation, and adopting sustainable water disposal systems.

According to data from the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Aqueduct tools, 17 countries around the world face “extremely high” levels of baseline water stress. These countries, including 12 in the Middle East and North Africa region, withdraw more than 80% of their available water supply every year, putting them under severe pressure.

Laurent Lambert, Assistant Professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, stressed the importance of being more careful about water usage. Although authorities have proposed strategies to address water security, more needs to be done to ensure that future demands for water can be safely met beyond 2025.

Prof. Lambert suggested that increasing public awareness of water conservation and reducing consumption by a few percentage points could help decrease water stress. However, he acknowledged that restrictions on water usage through tariffs or taxes could lead to a backlash from the public.

In addition to raising awareness, Prof. Lambert emphasized the need for Qatar to reuse retreated sewage water for agriculture and industry. He pointed out that in some areas of the country, ornamental trees are still being irrigated with desalinated water, which is costly and inefficient.

To meet its goal of planting 10 million trees by 2030, Prof. Lambert suggested that Qatar should focus on reusing all retreated water instead of relying solely on desalinated water. This would not only help conserve water but also support sustainable agricultural practices and industrial development.

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