2 days ago
Bahrain: Three initiatives launched to save water
Bahrain - Three initiatives have been launched by the United Nations Habitat office in Bahrain, in partnership with local entities, to save more than 250,000 cubic metres of water.
The programme will include leak repairs in 250 households, distribution of efficient water fixtures through charities and the introduction of greywater recycling programmes at 50 mosques across the kingdom.
'The project is part of a larger initiative to save water in Bahrain,' UN-Habitat Bahrain associate programme officer for architecture and urban planning Mohamed Dadabhai told the GDN.
'The goal of the project is to save 250,000 cubic metres of water. We're doing this through three ways.
'Firstly, we will be repairing leaks at 250 homes in Bahrain. Secondly, we will be procuring 200 water fixtures, like showerheads, and giving them out to charities to distribute to different homes.
'Thirdly, we're installing 50 greywater systems into mosques in which they can recycle the ablution water to use for the graveyards and landscaping around the area.
'Both the design and execution of the greywater systems will be done through one of our local consultants.'
Mr Dadabhai was speaking on the sidelines of an information session at the Bahrain Chamber yesterday to enlist local businesses in the project, which is being designed and implemented in partnership with Nestle and the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA).
'The EWA already has their own monitoring system and complaints hotline to see which homes are likely to have leaks, so they will be providing us with details as and when they come up,' Mr Dadabhai explained.
'This initiative will benefit both Bahrainis and expatriates, located across all the municipalities of Bahrain.'
For the distribution of water fixtures, the UN-Habitat office has partnered with the Isa Town charity in a pilot project, to ensure the showerheads go to households in need, like those with extraordinarily high EWA bills.
The UN office has also partnered with both the Sunni Endowments Directorate and the Jaffari Waqf Directorate to instal greywater systems at 50 mosques across the kingdom.
Greywater systems are a type of on-site wastewater treatment to collect and reuse wastewater from sources like showers, sinks, and in the case of Bahrain, ablution, for non-potable purposes, primarily irrigation. These systems help reduce water consumption, lower water bills, and potentially decrease the load on wastewater treatment plants and septic systems.
'The project started in December last year, when we started doing assessments and studies,' Mr Dadabhai added.
'Now that we are ready to start implementation, we are approaching local businesses to bid for the initiatives.'
According to Mr Dadabhai, the greywater systems will be rolled out later this year, while the leak repairs and fixtures are likely to continue into the first quarter of next year.
Another key component of the project will be a public awareness water-saving campaign, for which the UN-Habitat office will invite the Supreme Council for Environment as well as the Sustainable Development Ministry.
'Bahrain is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world and there are a lot of national initiatives launched in line with the vision of His Majesty King Hamad and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister,' Mr Dadabhai added.
'In this campaign, we're planning to spread awareness on saving water and also showcase the results we have achieved, while showing people some different techniques, what has worked with us, and how we can move forward with these results.'
Participants at yesterday's information session
The GDN recently reported on a study that highlighted strategies to better manage water resources, identifying the diversification of water sources and treated wastewater as key opportunities.
Average daily water consumption from 2006 to 2023
The study also noted that over the last 19 years, the average daily water consumption in Bahrain has increased from 100.41 litres in 2006 to 163.75 litres per person in 2023, according to open source data published by the EWA.
The production of distilled potable water has also increased to match this demand, standing at 60,991.55 million gallons in 2023, while groundwater production has dropped from 10,568.62 in 2006 to zero in 2020 and onwards.
The UN-Habitat office is also working with the Municipalities Affairs Ministry to design and develop parks across the kingdom, after they completed a comprehensive study of all 154 public parks in Bahrain.
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