Water Consumption Quotas in Saudi Arabia

Al-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 17

Saudi Arabia is a successful example of a country with robust water resource management. Despite its desert environment, arid climate and lack of rivers and lakes, the kingdom’s inhabitants enjoy an abundance of water that surpasses even those countries with a rainy climate and smaller populations. This is impressive and surprising at the same time, because we not only live in a dry desert area, but we are also witnessing a huge growth in population. Most of our parents and grandparents likely remember the days when many cities and villages in Saudi Arabia had wells that outnumbered the inhabitants who relied on them for water. Today, however, the situation is reversed, and the population has more than doubled at a time when wells have dried up. And despite all of this, Saudi Arabia has remained a leading country in providing water, not only for the consumption of its residents, but also for the production of foods that require huge amounts of fresh water. The first reason for this success is the kingdom’s early awareness of the dangers associated with letting its water sources disappear. Saudi authorities realized, at a very early stage, the need to anticipate the rapid rise in population and the steady rise in the consumption of water. The second reason is the Saudi government’s focus, from the very early days, on technologies that enable the desalination of seawater and its conversion into potable water. The government’s investment in these technologies has proven to be suitable for our geographic and climate conditions. There is only one problem that has always been difficult to solve: compliance and cooperation of the Saudi public. After all, no matter how innovative our government is, it can only be successful at preserving our water resources if the public supports its efforts. The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture –  the authority that oversees activities related to the provision of water and sanitation services in Saudi Arabia – has carried out commendable awareness campaigns to develop and govern the water sector. Recently, the Ministry established quotas on each household’s water consumption, in an effort to curb water waste. This service not only contributes to reducing water consumption, but also alerts the customer by various technical means that the consumption quota is about to be exceeded and the possibility of amending it at any time. According to my knowledge, a service like this is used and exists even in countries with abundant water resources. Its use helps not only in rationalizing our water consumption, but also in alerting citizens of possible leaks inside their homes. Without this awareness, and without this service, we actually risk consuming our already little balance of fresh water. Yes, it’s true that we are the number one country in desalinated water consumption per capita; but it’s also true that groundwater is still the main source of freshwater in Saudi Arabia. This resource is depletable and non-renewable, and cannot be relied upon – especially if we want to keep it as a strategic option for future generations. For all these reasons, I can say that citizen awareness and cooperation should be considered our third source of water, alongside groundwater and seawater desalination. – Fahad Amer Al-Ahmadi (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)