In mapping out a comprehensive urban masterplan for 2040 and beyond, the ruler of Dubai demonstrates a focus on protecting and bettering the lives of residents both today and for the next generation. It promises to develop the best possible environment and infrastructure to enhance the community’s happiness and wellbeing. Water and waste water management will play a key role in bringing this vision to reality, in one of the more challenging regions for water scarcity.
Water is the foundation of any growing city – from industrial processes, food cultivation to being a primary defense against the Covid-19 virus to ensure the health of citizens. And water scarcity due to climate change and mismanagement of this precious resource can disrupt the lives of citizens and hinder progress of cities.
Globally, it is reported that non-revenue water loss – water which is produced but lost before it reaches people – is estimated to be $40 billion per year. Regionally, water scarcity is a grave problem, and the World Bank estimates that MENA countries are at the risk of facing the greatest economic loss from water shortages due to climate change, which by 2050 could account for 6 to 14 percent of GDP.
Because the prosperity of growing cities and the environment are interlinked, I feel it is crucial that public and private sector stakeholders come together to find next-level solutions to these issues. In discussion with our government partners there have been requests for hyper-precise smart meters in homes with serious investment in this area an option in order to place greater control measures in the hands of consumers; however, our environment is deteriorating due to accelerating climate change – which will consequently be a serious hindrance for the development of our cities, with industry playing a large role in consumption of resources such as water.
Leaders in industry need to take a step back and understand how they can add true value to water conservation whilst retaining a standard of living we have come to expect in the UAE in particular. The best response, if pushed to simplify for greater impact, is to measure everything. If everyone -the shopkeeper, the master property developer, the solar power plant engineer, even the children at bathtime- are all aware of their consumption day by day and minute by minute, backed up with education on how to do more with less, this will surely help our chances.
In addition to awareness and education, we can always rely on technology to deliver the biggest upticks in positive results, the iterative improvement as well as the quantum leap.
In an increasingly diversified economy, we are still allied to the oil and gas industry. Also in this area we are seeing better water management coming into place, specifically in Produced Water. Throughout the water management process in oil and gas, from collection to transportation and injection, the highest specification of electromagnetic flowmeters are able to reduce costs and wastage while providing peak levels of performance for operators. Our customers and partners tend to look for solutions that facilitate accurate, reliable measurement, provide instrument diagnostics, and reduce cost to overcome challenges that arise while managing produced water during oil and gas production. Reliable electromagnetic flowmeter units avoid moving parts entirely to avoid wear and measurement inaccuracy due to drifting.
Initiatives such as Dubai 2040 Urban Masterplan will ensure the country’s continued economic, environmental and societal growth in the face of climate change. The UAE has set an example for the rest of region for how to do this; the formula for revolutionary success is leveraging the power of innovation to drive sustainability across the whole of society.
I personally look forward to watching this vision come to reality and evolve Dubai into the “best city in the world” with smart water solutions at the heart of it. The path of vision 2040 and smart water has just begun, but the future is bright, and there are more ground-breaking innovations yet to unravel, which will strike the perfect balance to empower the people and environment of the UAE to thrive in the coming 20 years.
By: Frank Janssens, Vice President, KROHNE Middle East and Africa