Category Archives: Water Management

The Promise of Bioremediation

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Ecosystems are permanently challenged with the abundant release of toxic compounds into the environment due to a wide range of anthropogenic activities. Apparently, contamination with oil spills and oily waste disposal are a major global concern since it’s extensively damaging the biodiversity, threatening the public health and has severe ecological and socioeconomic consequences. For example, in 1989, thousands metric tons of crude oil spill in Alaska, led to a massive loss in the marine life as well as several long-term environmental impact. Minor oil spills and non-point oil contamination are no less threats to public health, biodiversity and environment. Awareness … Continue reading →

The Case for Renewables-Powered Desalination in MENA

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Desalination is a water treatment process that separates salts from saline water to produce potable water. The desalination process uses large amount of energy to produce pure water from saltwater source, such as seawater. Saltwater is fed into the process, and the result is an output stream of pure water and another stream of waster with high salt concentration. Desalination techniques are mainly classified into two types: Processes based on physical change in the state of the water, and Processes using a membrane that employ the concept of filtration. There are more than 20,000 industrial-scale desalination units worldwide, with combined … Continue reading →

How to Conserve Water at Home: An Easy Guide

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There is no doubt that we are spoilt in the developed world: We use far too much water, and we really should be doing something about it. The problem is that we live in houses that are already predisposed to wasting water. Granted, these days, if you buy a new home, it should be environmentally sound with the latest domestic water conservation strategies in place. However, what if you live in an older house or in a more modern one that has been poorly maintained? This article sheds light on where you are using the most water and how you … Continue reading →

Tips for Hot Water Conservation in Households

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The use of hot water in homes, offices, commercial centers, educational buildings and institutions increases manifolds during winter months. The demand of hot water for showers, laundry and washing makes up more than a third of an average household’s water and energy use in winter. The conservation of energy is essential as the cost of both electricity and water is increasing steadily and the consumers will have to pay more for energy and water bills. The main areas of hot water usage in residential areas are bathroom and kitchen. Bathing consumes up to 62 liters of hot water on an … Continue reading →

Syria’s Crisis and Jordan’s Water Struggle: Lessons Learned

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Jordan has had to accept being labeled a Refugee Country since its independence, as the country has absorbed several waves of refugees from neighboring countries in a region of uncertainty.  It began with the Arab-Israeli Wars in 1948 and 1967, followed by the Gulf Wars in 1991 and 2004, and ended with the most recent conflict in Syria, which added 1.4 million refugees to the country’s population. This posed extraordinary challenges to Jordan’s water sector, which lacked the necessary resources to meet the increased demand. Former UN High Commissioner for Refugees and current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres summed up Jordan’s … Continue reading →

Ways to Counter Water Scarcity in Jordan

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Water scarcity is a reality in Jordan, as the country is counted among the world’s most arid countries. The situation has been exacerbated by the large-scale influx of refugees due to the Syrian crisis. The current per capita water supply in Jordan is measly 61 m3 per year which is almost one-third of the global average. Thus, it is of paramount importance to augment water supply in addition to sustainable use of available water resources. How to Augment Water Supply in Jordan? There are couple of options to increase alternative water supply sources in Jordan – desalination of seawater and recycling … Continue reading →

Sustainable Drainage Systems in the Middle East: Benefits and Opportunities

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With changing weather patterns of frequent and intense rainfall, regions in the Middle East are struggling to cope with the influx of rain and stormwater runoff that often flood roads and residential areas. While a good network of surface drainage systems enforced with concrete, pipes and manholes may alleviate the situation, city planners can now adopt the use of more sustainable and environmentally beneficial methods to decrease urban flooding in the Middle East. This technique of utilising natural drainage systems to improve water management is also referred to as Sustainable Drainage Systems. Different types of SuDS: Detention ponds, green roofs, … Continue reading →

Irrigation Systems in the United Arab Emirates

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Driving down the streets of Dubai, one cannot ignore the large puddles of water that cover the side of the streets and sidewalks. These puddles, which are the result of attempted irrigation of green patches and plants, are a big waste. As a result, a very important question comes to mind: Does the UAE have that much water to spare? Water in the UAE is in very short supply. The United Arab Emirates is one of the top 10 most water-scarce countries in the world, and has one of the highest per capita water usages globally. With 550 liters per … Continue reading →

The Remarkable Water Lifting Noria

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One of the challenges humans have faced for centuries is raising water to reach farm fields or communities. One of the most impressive, yet little known, solutions is the noria (Arabic: نواعير حماة, Spanish: azud). The noria is properly pronounced na’ura (singular) and nawa’ir (plural). Noria literally means “the growler” referring to the sounds made as the wheel turns. The wooden bearings, falling water, and stresses on the wheel create a symphony of noise and musical notes. The deepest notes are in the range of 120–170 Hertz. These remarkable machines are undershot water wheels with paddles on the rim pushed … Continue reading →

VeryNile – Keeping the Nile Alive

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Over the last decade we have become increasingly alarmed at the amount of plastic in our oceans. More than 8 Million tons of it ends up out oceans every year and if we continue to pollute at this rate, there will be more trash than fish by the year 2050. By the way, there are 3.5 Trillion fishes in the ocean now. Where does all this waste come from? After analyzing waste in rivers and surrounding landscape, researchers found that most plastic waste comes from rivers; and 90% of this waste comes from only 10 river systems. One of them, … Continue reading →

Nile – The Lifeline of Egypt

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The Nile always played a key role in the lives of Egyptians. It made living in the desert possible, provided drinking water; it was a source of irrigation and most importantly created fertile soil that allowed for growing crops to feed the masses. The Nile also offered an ideal means of transport for goods and people thus causing development of boats and other water traveling methods. During the course of history, using the Nile for trading with other countries proved easier and safer than land. The trip from northern to southern Egypt would have been very strenuous if it wasn’t … Continue reading →

Runoff and Floodwater Farming – Examples from MENA and American SW

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To better understand the options for runoff agriculture, below is a review of some of the imaginative and effective techniques developed for use of runoff and floodwaters in the MENA region and the American Southwest (SW). Experimentation and experience over more than 5,000 years led to remarkable systems that enabled people to live well even in some of the most arid environments. These systems can be built and maintained by local people using available tools. Two major goals are to hold the water back so it doesn’t run off and to concentrate the water so that even the most arid … Continue reading →