Availability of water resources in United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates is composed of seven emirates namely Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras al Khaimah, Umm ul Quwain, Fujairah, and Ajman. It is located in the Arabian Peninsula near the Persian Gulf. It occupies a total area of 83600 square kilometers of which around 77,500 squares kilometers is the main surface area. The total area of islands is around 5900 square kilometers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Availability of water resources in United Arab Emirates specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In 1994, more than 66 thousand hectares was occupied by agricultural land, whereas the rest of the territory was occupied by Wetland (Kamil, 2001). There are several sources of water in the United Arab Emirates. The total annual amount of water available from surface runoff, which is produced by rainfall, is around 150 million cubic meters and there are no perennial streams. It is also approximated that the ground water recharg e is around 120 million square meters and this emanates from infiltration from the riverbeds. The total amount of water derived from ground water abstraction is about 1615 million square meters. This shows that ground water depletion amounts to around 1500 million cubic meters per annum. The recharge does not include the recharge of groundwater flowing from neighboring countries because no figures are available (Warren, 2003). It is important to note that nowadays the country faces serious problems associated with water resources. Population increase and climate change has led to shortage of water resources. Therefore, the country has to work out some effective strategies to solve the problems. During the past twenty years the seawater intrusion has been increasing in the coastal areas. It was decided to construct several drums to solve the problem. About 35 dams and embankments have been constructed across the entire country. These structures are characterized by a total storage ca pacity of about eighty million square meters (Warren, 2008). These dams are constructed for recharge purposes, but they also provide protection against floods. A desalination plant was also erected in Abu Dhabi in 1976. This plant had a total capacity of around 250 square meters per day. There are 35 desalination plants in the united Arab emirates with a total capacity of 1922 cubic meters per day while total actual production is 385 cubic meter per year. Over total water withdraw was ground water. In the same year, agricultural water withdrawal for crops was estimated to be around 1300 million cubic meters. There are two main sources of water in the United Arab Emirates. These two sources are desalinated seawater and ground (Warren, 2003).Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The ground water sources are used for agricultural production. The drinking water is provided almost w holly from desalinated water across the emirate. Ground water contributes around 70% to total water demand for all-purpose. Desalinated water contributes around 25% and treated wastewater accounts for about %. Reportedly, 8 seawater desalination plants were operating in Abu Dhabi in 2010. Notably, only two freshwater aquifers are operating in the area (Warren, 2003). The saline ground water is still used to irrigate palms. These trees are rather salt-tolerant so ground water can be used for irrigation. The country has constructed recharge dams on Wadis for the purpose of preventing flood water from flowing into the sea. There is a lot of unplanned and uncontrolled ground waters withdraw specifically for agriculture and forestry. This has led to the reduction in the ground water levels and the quality of water. The construction of large-scale recharge facilities has been going on in Liwa oasis since 2008. This has helped in creating a 90-day reserve drinking water supply compared wit h the earlier 48-hour reserve for drinking water (Kamil, 2001). The water production in United Arab Emirates increases during the summer when electricity production increases. It is necessary to point out that the recharge scheme is still under construction. Considerable amounts of wastewater are now being reused to irrigate agricultural lands. Most of these wastewater treatment plants are publicly operated. United Arab people are supplied with water free of charge. Notably, industrial users as well as foreign residents have to pay for the use of water. Most of the groundwater is used to irrigate agricultural products. The United Arab Emirates have tried to solve problems associated with water scarcity by constructing desalination plants (Alsharhan, 2001). For the last three decades, groundwater has provided the majority of water source for Abu Dhabi emirate despite its heavy utilization. It is comprised of brackish, fresh sources, desalinated seawater and treated sources. Due to th e decline in water levels, protection and conservation of fresh groundwater are very important. The ground water in the United Arab Emirates is mostly used in agriculture, forestry and irrigation. Majority of water produced in the United Arab Emirates is abstracted from boreholes and shallow wells. The rest of water is produced from desalination of seawater. Water used for domestic purposes is derived from 16 well fields in the eastern region (Warren, 2003). Lack of enough quantities of water is a great problem in the United Arab Emirates. The arid climate of United Arab Emirates plays a very important role in the water resources availability. Rainfall is the main source of water in the United Arab Emirates.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Availability of water resources in United Arab Emirates specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is important to note that water supply has become one of the most urgent problems i n the United Arab Emirates. It is possible to state that population increase; climate change and increase in agricultural lands contribute greatly to the problem. Apparently, existing desalination plants hardly satisfy the increasing demand. Therefore, it is essential to construct more dams and plants. Population increase is not confined to increase of water use. It also leads to excessive construction of roads and buildings. This brings to the fore issues concerning reasonable allocation of land. The government should work out the necessary strategies to control land allocation. Thus, it is possible to claim that issues concerning water resources in the United Arab Emirates require a complex approach on the part of the government of the country. Despite positive changes which have been taking place throughout past three decades, it is important to note that extra effort is still needed. References Alsharhan, S., 2001.Hydrogeology of an arid region: the Arabian Gulf and adjoining. N ew York. Elsevier. Kamil, A., 2001. Water in the Arabian Peninsula: problems and policies. Dubai: Ithaca Press. Peter R., 2008. Water in the Arab world: perspective and prognoses. New York: Harvard university press. Warren, W., 2003. Water resources perspective: evaluation, management and policy. New York: Elsevier.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This essay on Availability of water resources in United Arab Emirates was written and submitted by user Madilynn Cortez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Accelerated Science Program Helps Adult Students Find Healthcare Jobs Faster

Accelerated Science Program Helps Adult Students Find Healthcare Jobs Faster The older we get, the more aware we become of time remaining. We tend to become more efficient because there is less time to waste, less time to spend doing something we either a) dont want to do, or b) are capable of doing faster. If youre in the medical field, or want to be, and the above sounds like you, the Integrated Science Program (ISP) from Lifelong Learning Institute might be right for you. In a nutshell, the program focuses on one science for a full month, and then moves on to the next subject. So rather than taking four subjects at the same time for a full semester, you immerse yourself in just one subjectfocused attention on one topic. At Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU), for example, the ISP format involves face-to-face, full-day classroom time on Saturdays and Sundays, web-based learning from home during the week, and weekly tests. Its designed especially for adult students who work. With this format, theyre able to attend classes on weekends and fit the self-study portion of the class, which includes online discussion forums, into their lives whenever they can on weekdays. At SCU, the following courses are available in the ISP format: Biochemistry LabChemistry for Allied Health Professionals (Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry combined) Lab)General Chemistry 1 2 LabHuman Anatomy and Physiology 1 2 LabHuman Biology 1 2 LabMicrobiology LabOrganic Chemistry 1 2 LabPhysics 1 2 Lab Most ISP students at SCU are working toward completing science prerequisites for health science degrees for use in the following careers: ChiropracticDentistry and Dental HygieneMedicineNursing (LPN, LVN, CNA, ADN, RN, BSN, MS, PhD)OptometryOsteopathic MedicinePharmacyPhysician AssistantPhysical TherapyPodiatric MedicineVeterinary Medicine The ISP brochure from SCU states: Immersion learning enables ISP students to easily remember the earliest lessons of the curriculum throughout the entire duration of the course. ISP students report that never before have they grasped and retained the concepts of basic sciences so completely. The accelerated format is equal to the same credit hours as traditional semester-long programs, providing nontraditional students with one more option for fitting school into their already busy lives. If youre unsure about whether or not this kind of program is right for you, plan to attend one of the monthly open houses held on Saturdays in both Los Angeles and San Francisco. Youll also find the FAQ page helpful in answering questions you have, and theres a webinar you can take that explains everything about the Integrated Science Program, including how to apply. Testimonials are also helpful when youre trying to decide on an unconventional form of study. Be sure to read what other students have said about their success with the program. Allen Grove, Abouts Expert on College Admissions, has a nice profile on Southern California University, including info about the test scores youll need to get in, the number of applicants generally accepted, enrollment numbers, costs, financial aid available, most popular majors, transfer, graduation, and retention rates, and the schools mission statement. Thats a whole lot of info in one spot. Related science topics at About.com: BiologyChemistryHealthMathematicsPhysics