Latest news with #watersecurity
Zawya
a day ago
- Business
- Zawya
DEWA wins Middle East and Africa Deal of the Year 2024 award for Hassyan desalination plant project
Dubai, UAE: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has received the 'Middle East and Africa Deal of the Year 2024' award from Project Finance International (PFI), a leading publication specialising in tracking and analysing global projects, financial transactions and project deals. DEWA was recognised for its 180 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) seawater reverse osmosis (RO) desalination project in Hassyan. The project is the largest of its kind in the world using RO technology under the independent water producer (IWP) model, with an investment of AED 3.377 billion. 'The Hassyan seawater desalination project plays a pivotal role in achieving Dubai's ambitious target to produce 100% of desalinated water using a mix of clean energy and waste heat by 2030. This supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, which aim to provide 100% of energy production capacity from clean sources by 2050. The project reflects our commitment to meeting growing demand for electricity and water services, enhancing water security from sustainable sources, and increasing Dubai's desalination capacity to 735 MIGD through advanced technologies and innovative solutions,' said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA. 'Implementing the project under the IWP model enhances Dubai's global competitiveness and has enabled us to secure the world's lowest tariff for desalinated water. DEWA has developed the project in collaboration with ACWA Power from Saudi Arabia. The project has achieved a world record by receiving the lowest bid of 0.36536 USD per cubic metre of desalinated water,' added Al Tayer. -Ends- For more information, please contact: Shaikha Almheiri / Mohammad Almheiri / Ribal Dayekh Mariam Mikhail / Esraa Hamed Dubai Electricity and Water Authority Seen Media / / mariam@ / esraa@
Emirates 24/7
a day ago
- Business
- Emirates 24/7
DEWA wins Middle East and Africa Deal of the Year 2024 award for Hassyan desalination plant project
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has received the 'Middle East and Africa Deal of the Year 2024' award from Project Finance International (PFI), a leading publication specialising in tracking and analysing global projects, financial transactions and project deals. DEWA was recognised for its 180 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) seawater reverse osmosis (RO) desalination project in Hassyan. The project is the largest of its kind in the world using RO technology under the independent water producer (IWP) model, with an investment of AED 3.377 billion. 'The Hassyan seawater desalination project plays a pivotal role in achieving Dubai's ambitious target to produce 100% of desalinated water using a mix of clean energy and waste heat by 2030. This supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, which aim to provide 100% of energy production capacity from clean sources by 2050. The project reflects our commitment to meeting growing demand for electricity and water services, enhancing water security from sustainable sources, and increasing Dubai's desalination capacity to 735 MIGD through advanced technologies and innovative solutions,' said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA. 'Implementing the project under the IWP model enhances Dubai's global competitiveness and has enabled us to secure the world's lowest tariff for desalinated water. DEWA has developed the project in collaboration with ACWA Power from Saudi Arabia. The project has achieved a world record by receiving the lowest bid of 0.36536 USD per cubic metre of desalinated water,' added Al Tayer. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
Arab News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Arab food insecurity: A recipe for regional chaos
In the volatile landscape of the Arab world, food and water security have emerged as critical pillars of national stability, inextricably linked to escalating regional tensions and shifting geopolitics. As conflicts simmer from Syria to Yemen and external powers exploit divisions, the region's ability to feed and hydrate its populations faces unprecedented threats. Recent reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia paint a grim picture: hunger and malnutrition have surged to critical levels, affecting more than 69 million people in the Arab world as of 2024. This crisis, exacerbated by climate change, pandemics and wars, underscores the urgent need for Arab nations to forge cooperative strategies for self-sufficiency, lest they remain vulnerable to global supply disruptions and manipulative foreign influences. The Arab world's strategic environment is a powder keg of instability. Tensions in one corner barely cool before igniting elsewhere, as seen in the recent unrest in Sweida, Syria, where Israeli airstrikes ostensibly to protect the Druze minority violated Syrian sovereignty amid a perceived US green light. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry swiftly condemned these incursions, highlighting a broader pattern of Israeli provocations that exploit power vacuums and regional fractures. Such interventions not only destabilize borders but also amplify food and water insecurities, disrupting agricultural supply chains and displacing farmers. Geopolitical shifts further compound these challenges. The ongoing war in Ukraine has disrupted global grain exports, on which many Arab states heavily rely, while the Israeli assaults on Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria, along with its exchanges with Iran, have ravaged local agriculture. In Gaza, where food insecurity affected 31 percent of the population pre-2023 escalation due to blockades and water restrictions, the situation has deteriorated into famine-like conditions, with more than 90 percent of residents facing acute shortages by mid-2025. Lebanon's recent conflicts have eroded purchasing power for 90 percent of its agricultural workforce, inflating food prices and crippling production. In Sudan, armed clashes have barred 40 percent of farmers from their lands, destroying infrastructure and spiking prices by more than 70 percent, leaving 25 million in severe hunger. Yemen's protracted war, punctuated by US-Israeli strikes, has demolished irrigation systems and hiked wheat prices by 40 percent, pushing 70 percent of its population into food insecurity, including 17 million in acute need. Libya and Syria fare no better, with conflict-induced displacements halting cultivation and inflating import dependencies. Water security, often the overlooked twin of food security, is equally imperiled. The Arab world, home to 5 percent of the global population but only 1 percent of renewable water resources, grapples with severe scarcity. Climate change has intensified droughts, reducing aquifer levels and river flows in the Euphrates, Tigris and Nile basins, which are vital for irrigation. Geopolitical tensions exacerbate this, including through upstream damming projects. One example is Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which threatens Egypt and Sudan's water shares, potentially slashing Nile flows by 25 percent and devastating agriculture. In Palestine, Israeli control over aquifers diverts 85 percent of West Bank water to settlements, leaving Palestinians with per capita access below WHO minimums. Syria and Iraq face similar upstream pressures from Turkiye, where dams on the Euphrates have cut flows by 40 percent, crippling downstream farming. These water wars not only undermine food production, as agriculture consumes 80 percent of regional water, but also fuel national security risks. Resource disputes could ignite broader conflicts. Amid these perils, Arab food self-sufficiency remains alarmingly low. The Arab Organization for Agricultural Development reported in 2024 that the region imports more than 50 percent of its basic needs, with grain self-sufficiency at just 38 percent, wheat at 35 percent, maize at 23 percent and rice at 48 percent (though Egypt achieves a surplus in rice). Edible oils stand at 34 percent, sugar at 41 percent, meat at 69 percent, legumes at 37 percent and dairy at 82 percent. This dependency exposes economies to volatile global markets, where prices have soared 20 percent to 30 percent since 2022 due to supply chain disruptions. Wars amplify the gap: in conflict zones, agricultural output has plummeted 30 percent to 50 percent, widening the food deficit and inflating import bills to $100 billion annually. National security is at stake, as food and water vulnerabilities invite external manipulation. In a geopolitically charged era, where superpowers vie for influence, resource scarcity becomes a weapon. The US-led West, often prioritizing strategic alliances over humanitarian concerns, has enabled sieges and blockades that starve populations. This is exemplified by the crisis in Gaza, where daily hunger deaths occur amid international complicity, backed by arms supplies from Washington. Hunger and malnutrition have surged to critical levels, affecting more than 69 million people in the Arab world as of 2024. Dr. Turki Faisal Al-Rasheed Yet, hope lies in Arab agency. Food and water security demand political stability through regional solidarity, not fragmentation. Experts advocate clear paths: fostering intra-Arab cooperation via joint ventures, like shared irrigation projects in the Gulf Cooperation Council or Nile Basin initiatives; exchanging expertise in desalination and drought-resistant crops; developing unified food policies under the Arab League; adopting climate-smart technologies, such as precision agriculture and genetically modified seeds tailored to arid climates; and building strategic reserves for emergencies, buffered against global shocks. Investment in research and development is crucial, boosting yields through hydroponics, vertical farming and wastewater recycling could close the water gap by 20 percent to 30 percent. The UAE's Masdar City and Saudi Arabia's NEOM exemplify the region's innovative approaches, blending renewable energy with sustainable agriculture. Reducing reliance on imports requires subsidizing local farmers, reforming subsidies that favor urban consumers and integrating water management into national security doctrines. In conclusion, the Arab world's future hinges on transforming anxiety into action. With geopolitical tensions showing no abatement, from Iranian-Saudi reconciliation being tested by proxy conflicts to US-China rivalries spilling into the Middle East, food and water security must be elevated as existential imperatives. By uniting in self-reliance, Arab nations can shield themselves from external predation, ensuring sovereignty and dignity for generations. The opportunity is ripe; the will must follow.
Argaam
18-07-2025
- Business
- Argaam
ACWA Power inks $800M desalination deals with Senegal
ACWA Power Co. signed several agreements with Senegal's government for the Grande Côte desalination plant. In an emailed statement to Argaam, the Saudi utility said this project is the largest desalination imitative in West Africa with total investment of up to $800 million. The project will be implemented in two phases with a production capacity of 200,000 cubic meters/day each of desalinated water. The large-scale project, which will be entirely powered by renewable energy, aims to supply up to 400,000 cubic meters of drinking water per day to Senegal's capital, Dakar, and the surrounding areas, in order to enhance water security in the region. The financial close of the project is expected by 2026, with full commercial operations set to begin by 2031. The project represents a long-term strategic partnership with Senegal's National Water Co. and is anticipated to play a key role in improving the country's water infrastructure and boosting its resilience, ACWA Power added. The Grand Côte project will rely entirely on green energy sourced from Senegal's national grid under a special supply agreement. The project is considered among the few desalination initiatives globally to be fully powered by renewable energy.
CBS News
15-07-2025
- Science
- CBS News
UT Arlington lab develops rapid flood maps to aid recovery and improve future flood warnings in Texas' Hill Country
The day after the catastrophic floods hit the Hill Country, the H2i Lab at the University of Texas at Arlington got to work. The team of engineers and scientists specializes in data and water, water hazards, and water security. In less than an hour on July 5, the H2i recreated a map of the Kerr County floods, using data from the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The maps show how high the water levels got at certain times during the morning of July Fourth. University of Texas at Arlington professor Adnan Rajib oversees the team. "These buildings, camp buildings, are underwater. This is 45 feet," said Rajib. "We actually didn't have a lot of idea how devastating the situation was, until we overlaid on Google Art with all these buildings and stuff, then we realized that this is going to be much more significant than what we knew at that particular time." The maps also show the number of structures that were inside the FEMA 100-year flood zone. "It was a tsunami," Rajib said. "In our estimate, we found at least 1,800 building footprints within Hill Country's flood-affected areas, that's a lot." The team believes their findings can also help recovery crews and authorities locate people's remains by targeting hotspots in the area. "Imagine you're a first responder, this is a warning that our model generated, where you go… you know that this is the pocket, this is the hot spot, so you'll go there first," he said. "By recreating how the flood changed over time, we can find out… we can look at those moving hot spots, and probably track how the flood eventually moved along the river." Rajib said we need to focus not only on emergency alert systems, but also on a flood warning system that gives people real-time information of "risk" in a specific area. Based on past flooding events in Hill Country, the team said they are not surprised by what happened on July Fourth, but said it's important to pay attention to the data and learn from the past. "Let's not lose our hopes, let's rise again, and see what we can do with all the smart technologies we have," he said. The H2i Lab hopes to share its findings with officials in Kerr County.
