Dubai company Terraplus uses underground technology to water palm trees. It claims this could save up to a trillion litres of water a year in the UAE if widely adopted by date farmers. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National
Dubai company Terraplus uses underground technology to water palm trees. It claims this could save up to a trillion litres of water a year in the UAE if widely adopted by date farmers. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National
Khalil Ur Rahman, who works closely with the Terraplus project, shows water seeping through the company's unique underground watering system. It allows water to reach the roots, which often clog up traditional underground pipe systems
Khalil Ur Rahman, who works closely with the Terraplus project, shows water seeping through the company's unique underground watering system. It allows water to reach the roots, which often clog up traditional underground pipe systems
Traditional topsoil watering 'bubblers', like the one pictured, have an evaporation rate of about 30 per cent
Traditional topsoil watering 'bubblers', like the one pictured, have an evaporation rate of about 30 per cent
Khalil Ur Rahman checks a water flow meter on a traditional watering bubbler used for irrigation in the UAE
Khalil Ur Rahman checks a water flow meter on a traditional watering bubbler used for irrigation in the UAE
The Terraplus system may save water in the UAE if date farmers adopt the technology
The Terraplus system may save water in the UAE if date farmers adopt the technology
The Dubai firm claim its system could save the country up to a trillion litres a year
The Dubai firm claim its system could save the country up to a trillion litres a year
Terraplus co-founders Patrick Stevens and Nicolas Bruylants with an above-ground display of the system
Terraplus co-founders Patrick Stevens and Nicolas Bruylants with an above-ground display of the system

UAE

Environment

World Water Week: lower consumption not increase supply, Unesco expert says

Prof David Hannah says daily water use in the UAE averages 550 litres per person, one of the highest in the world

Daniel Bardsley
Daniel Bardsley

March 21, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

At a time of population growth and increasing concern about climate change, countries such as the UAE should look at ways to limit demand for water, a leading expert has said.

While discussions concerning water often centre on how to maintain or increase supply, Prof David Hannah, a Unesco chairman in water science at the University of Birmingham in the UK, said that was just part of the equation.

Speaking to The National ahead of taking part in a World Majlis to be held at Expo 2020 Dubai on World Water Day on Tuesday, March 22, he said progress could be made by reducing water demand from agriculture and changes to individual behaviour.

We really need to consider the demand side. That’s particularly important given the population has grown
Prof David Hannah

“We really need to consider the demand side,” he said. “That’s particularly important given the population has grown.”

He noted daily water use in the UAE averages 550 litres per person, “one of the highest” figures globally.

Greater efforts to re-use water and behavioural change could help to limit demand, Prof Hannah added, as could regulation to encourage water conservation and the need to consider the cost of water.

In the region as a whole, Prof Hannah noted agriculture consumed large quantities of water, accounting for as much as 70 per cent of demand, compared to 20 per cent for households and 10 per cent for industry.

“A large proportion is used for agriculture,” he said. “How subsidies are provided for water-intensive crops has to be thought through.”

In terms of their own impact, people should consider not just their personal use, but also how their food and other goods, such as clothing, impacts on demand for water as part of an individual’s “global water footprint”, Prof Hannah said.

Demand for water goes up as population surges

Globally, freshwater use has grown several-fold over the past century as the world’s population has increased.

According to OurWorldinData, using figures from the Global International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), total global freshwater withdrawal – water taken from ground or surface resources – was 671.31 million cubic metres in 1901.

In 2014, the last year for which the IGBP compiled figures, the total was 3.99 trillion cubic metres.

While water use in the UAE is several times that in many other nations, efforts have been made to limit consumption for a number of years.

For example, in 2010 the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi launched a “Watersavers” campaign to install water-saving devices in the emirate’s domestic, government, educational, religious and industrial buildings.

Professor David Hannah will be giving a speech at Expo 2020 Dubai on World Water Day. Photo: David Hannah
Professor David Hannah will be giving a speech at Expo 2020 Dubai on World Water Day. Photo: David Hannah

The UAE has also become an important centre for hydroponic agriculture, in which plants are grown in nutrient solutions instead of soil and water use is a fraction of that of conventional agriculture.

Amid high demand for water, the effects of climate change add another layer of uncertainty because, Prof Hannah said, it was clear temperatures in the region would increase, but forecasts for precipitation range from a 20 per cent decrease to a 10 per cent increase.

Putting people in the water cycle

At Expo 2020 Dubai, Prof Hannah will be giving a speech at Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion on the Price of Water.

As part of his role holding a Unesco chair in water science, he is keen to improve education about the water cycle, the term for how water moves and is stored in the different atmosphere, land and ocean compartments of the cycle.

He is also keen that the influence of people on the water cycle is recognised.

An international research project Prof Hannah was involved with looked at 450 diagrams of the water cycle in a range of media, including textbooks and scientific articles.

Read More

Software could help to save up to 80 per cent of water used on UAE farms

It was found that 85 per cent of diagrams did not depict people in the water cycle, despite the significant role humans have, while just two per cent of diagrams featured climate change and two per cent pollution.

“That made us feel the water cycle is misrepresented, because people do have an effect on the water cycle,” he said.

“There’s a lack of awareness of how people relate to water. That gives us a false sense of security about current and future availability of water.”

The effects people are having on water-related systems are significant but often not widely appreciated, he indicated, because wetlands are disappearing three times as fast as forests but do not get as much attention.

As well as water quantity, he said water quality was a critical issue, with an estimated 1.8 million people dying each year because of polluted water.

Hydroponics farming - in pictures

A Palestinian teenager plants lettuce at the Lajee Centre’s hydroponic rooftop garden in the Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem on October 22, 2021. Photos by Heidi Levine for The National
A Palestinian teenager plants lettuce at the Lajee Centre’s hydroponic rooftop garden in the Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem on October 22, 2021. Photos by Heidi Levine for The National
Lettuce, parsley and green onions grown on the community rooftop garden.
Lettuce, parsley and green onions grown on the community rooftop garden.
Majd Khawaja, 26, with Palestinian teenagers attending a workshop on hydroponic farming at the rooftop garden.
Majd Khawaja, 26, with Palestinian teenagers attending a workshop on hydroponic farming at the rooftop garden.
The garden does away with the need for soil and, instead, relies on nutrients flowing through water to grow plants.
The garden does away with the need for soil and, instead, relies on nutrients flowing through water to grow plants.
Residents of Aida refugee camp, which is in the occupied West Bank, created the rooftop garden in 2014.
Residents of Aida refugee camp, which is in the occupied West Bank, created the rooftop garden in 2014.
Cucumber plants grown on the rooftop garden.
Cucumber plants grown on the rooftop garden.
Hydroponic farming entails pumping air, water and nutrients through a system that allows plants to grow at a faster pace than they would in soil.
Hydroponic farming entails pumping air, water and nutrients through a system that allows plants to grow at a faster pace than they would in soil.
The initiative seeks to teach refugees facing water shortages how to grow healthy food using sustainable techniques.
The initiative seeks to teach refugees facing water shortages how to grow healthy food using sustainable techniques.
Shatha Alazzeh, head of the Lajee Centre’s environmental unit, checks a lettuce plant on the rooftop garden.
Shatha Alazzeh, head of the Lajee Centre’s environmental unit, checks a lettuce plant on the rooftop garden.
Aida residents who are part of the community centre’s health programme help to look after the plants and take the produce home.
Aida residents who are part of the community centre’s health programme help to look after the plants and take the produce home.
The rooftop garden, as seen from the entrance to the Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem.
The rooftop garden, as seen from the entrance to the Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem.
Palestinian teenager Saaden Alan ,14, plants lettuce during a workshop held at the rooftop garden.
Palestinian teenager Saaden Alan ,14, plants lettuce during a workshop held at the rooftop garden.
A parsley plant grown in a plastic cup using hydroponic farming techniques.
A parsley plant grown in a plastic cup using hydroponic farming techniques.
Palestinian teenagers with lettuce they intend to plant on the rooftop garden.
Palestinian teenagers with lettuce they intend to plant on the rooftop garden.
Hydroponic pipe systems allow for innovative farming techniques that save water and also avoid the use of pesticides.
Hydroponic pipe systems allow for innovative farming techniques that save water and also avoid the use of pesticides.
Transforming corners of the camp into gardens will not remove the need to buy vegetables grown elsewhere but has the potential to improve the community’s resilience.
Transforming corners of the camp into gardens will not remove the need to buy vegetables grown elsewhere but has the potential to improve the community’s resilience.
The team behind the project hope to take it to other refugee camps in the West Bank and also to Gaza, Lebanon and Jordan.
The team behind the project hope to take it to other refugee camps in the West Bank and also to Gaza, Lebanon and Jordan.
Rooftops are the only option left for Aida inhabitants who lack arable land but are interested in growing their own crops.
Rooftops are the only option left for Aida inhabitants who lack arable land but are interested in growing their own crops.
Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

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While you're here
Plan to boost public schools

A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.

It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.

Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.

Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.

While you're here
The Facility’s Versatility

Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
 
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
 
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
 
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
 
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
 
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying

SPECS

Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR

Engine: 5.7-litre V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 362hp

Torque: 530Nm

Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)

Habtoor interview
UAE currency
F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESam%20Ottewill-Soulsby%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPrinceton%20University%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E392%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJuly%2011%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.

Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds  

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

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Oppenheimer
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Updated: March 21, 2022, 3:47 AM`
UAEExpo 2020 Dubai