ARAG 220

• Desalination


  The removal of salts and minerals from saline water
• Why sea water is desalinated

  To produce water suitable for human consumption or irrigation
• Desalination processes


  • Thermal methods (distillation)
  • Membrane-based methods (reverse osmosis)
• Water cycle


  Also known as the hydrologic cycle
• Water cycle


  The continuous exchange of water within the hydrosphere, between the atmosphere, soil water, surface water, groundwater, and plants
• Main components of the water cycle

  • Evaporation
  • Transpiration
  • Precipitation
  • Runoff
• How water enters the atmosphere in the water cycle

  Through evaporation from oceans and other water bodies, and transpiration from land plants and animals
• 71% of Earth's surface is covered by liquid water
• 97% of water on Earth is salt water
• 3% of Earth's water is freshwater
• 5% of total global water is freshwater
• 30% of total water used for irrigation comes from unsustainable groundwater withdrawals
• 70% of worldwide fresh water is used for irrigation
• 2,000 litres of water is needed to produce enough food to satisfy one person's daily dietary need
• Water table


  The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures become completely saturated with water
• Groundwater recharge


  From the surface
• Natural sources of fresh water

  • Surface water
  • Underground flow
  • Groundwater
  • Frozen water
• Major uses of water for humans

  • Irrigation
  • Drinking
  • Washing
  • Transportation
  • Industry
  • Recreation
• Groundwater is the main form of unfrozen freshwater on Earth
• The majority of freshwater on Earth is stored in glaciers and permanent snow cover
• Precipitation


  The process of water returning to the earth or ocean in the water cycle, where water vapor condenses and falls as rain, snow, hail, fog, or dew
• Role of winds in the water cycle

  Winds carry water vapor over land at the same rate as runoff into the sea
• Two-thirds of the freshwater on Earth is found frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps
• 72 Tt per year of water is evaporated and transpired from land masses contributing to runoff
• Water management strategies


  Ways to reduce water usage, wastage, or loss
• Wastewater recycling in water management strategies


  For purposes like manufacturing, irrigation, and cleaning
• Types of water resources in arid regions

  • Conventional source
  • Non-conventional source
• Nearly one-third of all water is lost before reaching the customer
• The estimated volume of fresh water in the groundwater of the UAE is approximately 20 billion cubic meters (BCM)
• Aim of saving the aquatic environment in water management strategies

  To protect the aquatic environment
• 3% of the groundwater in the UAE is fresh water
• Focus of water management techniques

  Maximizing water resources
• Purpose of dams in arid regions like the UAE

  To collect water due to limited rainfall
• How data models help in water management techniques

  Predict water availability, manage storage, and forecast water costs
• The biggest dam complex in the UAE is Wadi Ham in Fujairah
• What data models based on historical, current, and future data help identify

  Ways to reduce water use by providing a baseline
• The main source of domestic water supplies in the UAE is desalinated water
• Where water management best practices are performed

  • Government
  • Public and private business
  • NGOs
  • Conservation groups
  • Household levels
• 14% of total water resources used in the UAE is accounted for by treated waste water
• Government initiatives in water management best practices

  • Construction of dams, reservoirs, canals
  • Projects promoting reuse like wastewater treatment