What is the most suitable way to produce water in the Arabian Gulf region rain water, surface water, groundwater, desalination?

Hi Mohamed

From My point of view the Gulf Country has insufficient water catchment area to harvest water neither from rain nor ground water. The Gulf Country just do not have enough resources to maintain the raw water supply continuously. The current Traditional Water Catchment area that the Gulf Countries has, is not sufficient to cater the rapid economic growth in that region.  

The Gulf Countries only option at this moment is to fully utilize it Sea Water resources. Yes! To produce water from Sea Water is costly, however by combining the Potable Water Plant Operation with the Alternative Energy Resources Plant (Waste to Energy, Wind, and Solar), it may reduce the cost of Potable Water Production from harvesting the Sea Water for Potable Water. Moreover the Alternative Energy Technology has recently progresses a lot.  

Best Option I could think off at this moment, to reduce the production cost of Desalinated Water is by combining a Desalination Plant Operation with a Waste to Energy Plant Operation.

I believe Qatar is nowadays looking into this option.

Regards

Azrin Kasman

if we take cost effectiveness into account, then processing ground water would be idea ( since most of the gulf countries are in close proximity to the Gulf ). But the most convinent way to produce water would be desalinization.

This depends on from which point of view we evaluate, if from energy consumption point of view so the worst one is desalination and water harvesting is the best , but if from quality of water so desalination is the best, so you can judge taking in consideration the which goal of your evaluation.

firstly I want thank you for asking me, in my opinion I think the Arabian gulf countries should be search for non-traditional water resource, because they suffer from water scarcity which result from uncontrolled using of ground water resources (over pumping) and increasing of cost of establishing huge desalination sea water and by uncontrolled of sewage water and pumping it in the sea without treating that causing sea water pollution.

the main source of water in arabian gulf region must be firstly treated waste water for industrial and restricted agriculture according to WHO regulation and secondly for drinking and domestic uses it should be increasing the percentage of using desalination system for surface sea water, thirdly they should starting of water harvesting project for citizen in thier house roofs and for a country to collect rainfall by using desert dams or "haffair"

I hope to be satisfy for my answer