Synergetic Water Demand and Sustainable Supply Strategies in GCC Countries: Data-Driven Recommendations

Abstract The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, characterized with poor water resources and high oil/gas income, rely heavily on seawater desalination and non-renewable groundwater abstraction. The need to shift to demand-side solutions and sustainable supply alternatives has been long advocated; yet this study is the first to “quantify” its impact on the water management system of Qatar – considered a study case of GCC countries. In this research, a scenario-based approach was utilized to predict the impact of water demand control and wastewater reuse (and the resulting synergies) on desalinated water consumption, groundwater resources and wastewater infrastructure. To this effect, country-specific models for Qatar were developed to forecast yearly household water demand, wastewater generation and residential construction growth, up to year 2050. The outcomes showed that tariff reforms and regulated greywater reuse would reduce the household demand for desalinated water by up to 27% and 7%, respectively. Also, intensive reuse of Treated Sewage Effluent (TSE) would reduce 40–80% of total groundwater abstraction for irrigation. Finally, adopting an integrated water strategy, with combined demand and supply management targets, creates synergies that would: (1) limit the exploitation of groundwater resources to a range close to their safe yield; and (2) delay the need for expansion of the water and wastewater infrastructure by more than a decade. Data-driven recommendations were provided accordingly.