Despite global water scarcity and limitations on water resources, many Arab countries have made progress meeting water demands. The GCC, one of the driest regions in the world, has been remarkably successful in overcoming extreme water scarcity.
However, water losses in distribution networks should be taken into account so as to bridge the gap between supply and demand in the industrial, agricultural, and municipal sectors. It is estimated that the volume of unaccounted-for-water in Arab countries amounts to up to 60 percent of total water consumption. It is worth noting that several GCC countries have addressed this issue in recent years and have substantially decreased water loss in distribution networks.
Populations all over the globe need adequate and consistent water supply. About 82 percent of people in the Arab countries have access to improved drinking water, according to UNDP. But supplying water to growing populations is becoming increasingly challenging. In almost all Arab countries, rapid urbanization challenges efforts to meet rising domestic water demand, especially in countries with tight budget constraints. In GCC countries, domestic water consumption ranges from 300 liters per day to 750, among the world's highest.
One of the municipal sector's major challenges is to reduce unaccounted-for water in the distribution network. The World Bank defines unaccounted-for water "as the difference between the amount of water delivered by the water utility and the amount actually billed. Unaccounted-for water includes distribution network losses by leakage, illegal water use and inaccurate metering. The unaccounted-for water can reach more than 60 percent in poorly maintained distribution networks in some Arab cities." The volume of unaccounted-for water in Arab countries, ranging from 15 percent to 60 percent, greatly exceeds that in developed countries, where it ranges from less than 10 percent for new systems to 25 percent for older systems.
Water supply utilities in GCC countries demonstrate high performance in providing reliable and uninterrupted services to their clients, according to UNESCO. However, the share of real losses (e.g. leakage) in unaccounted-for water is high in some of these countries. In Saudi Arabia, for example, it is estimated to be 20-40 percent, and in Bahrain, 30 percent. However, all GCC counties have now turned their attention to the losses in the municipal distribution network and have made progress in bringing these down to 10-15 percent.
Governance schemes need to take unaccounted-for water into account, as per UNDP. Particularly in water-scarce Arab countries, this lost water carries a high opportunity cost, equivalent in the Gulf countries to the cost of desalination and pumping. Reducing unaccounted-for water by improving water distribution systems should thus be a major governance objective.
The agriculture sector also poses some challenges, as irrigation practices are often not well monitored, leading to significant water losses through leakage, runoff, and evaporation, as per PWC. As there are no immediate solutions for reducing water loss in distribution networks, water consumption should be reduced in order to tackle water scarcity problems.
In the past, there were reasons to allow agriculture to consume large amounts of water. Policymakers were concerned about food security, wanted to prevent overdependence on hydrocarbons, promote rural development, and beautify parks and green areas in major cities. Unsurprisingly, support for agricultural development discouraged efficiency. One effective way to limit water consumption in the agriculture sector is lifting government subsidies, and this in turn would reduce water loss in distribution networks.
Utilizing cutting-edge technologies, such as smart water systems, offers an optimal solution for water loss. According to Global Opportunities Network, smart water systems are designed to gather meaningful and actionable data about the flow, pressure, and distribution of a city's water, which can be used to better serve customers and prevent losses.
Developing newer and smarter products and services around smart water management is one of the best methods for reducing massive water losses in pipes and shrinking overall water consumption. Smart sensors on pipes and other critical water management infrastructure have the ability to detect leaks and measure water related data.
As internet of things devices, smart sensors are Wi-Fi enabled, allowing data to be sent in real time to cloud storage. Therefore, to be truly effective, smart sensors are integrated with advanced software systems capable of handling and managing these large datasets in real time. In doing so, municipalities can utilize this data to improve service, stop leaks, and boost efficiency. The need to replace aging water infrastructure is expected to be the biggest market demand driver for smart water management in the coming years.
