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Coinciding with the World Water Day 2021, which falls on March 22 every year, Dubai Municipality will organize a virtual seminar under the slogan “Valuing the importance of groundwater” in both Arabic and English, in the presence of a group of specialists from different countries of the world, in addition to the participation and hosting of various groups and segments of the society.

The seminar aims to present and monitor the most prominent experiences in the field of groundwater and how to benefit from it and develop it to overcome challenges and achieve success.

During the seminar, the most important achievements of the Municipality in terms of groundwater programs and how to preserve them will be highlighted. Dr. Zainul Abideen from the University of Science and Technology, Fujairah will be talking about the water sources in the UAE and the challenges and solutions offered. The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs will be represented by Sheikh Yaqoub Al-Hooti. He will explain the Islamic viewpoint on how to conserve water.

Dr. Mohammed Dawoud from Abu Dhabi Environment Agency will talk about the development and management of groundwater resources in the UAE, in addition to that there will be participation from the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, with a presentation of a study on water demand management in the agricultural sector by Dr. Sumaya Al Yamahi and Dr. Ahmed Yousuf will explain the application of the UAE water platform.

UAE University will be represented by Dr. Mohsen Sharif, Director of the National Center for Water and Energy, who will present a paper on groundwater in the UAE and the impact of climate change. As for youth awareness, Linda Miro from the Water Organization will present a paper entitled Youth Education Program through Environmental Youth Ambassador.

Dubai Municipality always seeks to activate the policy of preserving groundwater, under the slogan “Our groundwater … its sustainability is a trust,”, by launching and implementing many projects and initiatives aimed at sustaining this valuable resource, since 2015. The policy includes six basic outlets, which are to define protection zones for groundwater resources, controlling the quantities of groundwater withdrawn, developing groundwater sustainability performance indicators, enhancing the economic viability of various uses of groundwater, in addition to developing awareness programs to introduce the importance of groundwater and methods of preserving it, and developing an integrated system for groundwater management in the emirate, which includes working systems and executive programs.

Water resources in the UAE can be classified into two main categories: traditional resources, such as surface water (including Aflaj systems, springs and dams) and groundwater (shallow and deep aquifers), while desalinated water and sanitation come from surface water. Artificial seeding to increase the percentage of precipitation is not considered a water resource, but rather a technology for treating all kinds of water. In the arid environment of the UAE, groundwater is considered an important and valuable resource for water supply in all daily uses, and for social and economic development.