Domestic water demand challenges in Qatar
Husam Baalousha, Omar K.M. Ouda
Qatar is an arid country with limited water resources due to the low amount of rainfall it receives. With no surface water and an average annual rainfall of 80 mm per year, Qatar relies upon desalination to meet the increasing domestic water demand. The average annual rainfall recharge is around 60 million m3, whereas the total groundwater abstraction is 250 million m3 per year. As a result, groundwater level drops dramatically, thereby inducing brackish water upconing and saline water intrusion. Desalination provides 99% of domestic water demand, which increases continuously as a result of the influx of migrants into the country. The current capacity of desalination plants in Qatar is around 540 million m3 per year. Around 30% of this volume is being lost as a result of leakage in the water system network, and the rest is used for domestic purposes. This paper discusses three different scenarios of water demand until the year 2040. The results of these scenarios show water demand will vary between 516 and 2718 million m3 in the year 2040, depending upon the various trends in population growth, and assuming the current per capita of 500 l/day. The results of this study highlight the need for water rationing and conservation and may help the planners of future water demand.
Arabian Journal of Geosciences
water demand
groundwater abstraction
Domestic water demand
Forecast scenarios
Environmental Science(all)
Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
Baalousha, H., & Ouda, O. K. M. (2017). Domestic water demand challenges in Qatar. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 10(24), [537]. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-017-3330-4
Domestic water demand challenges in Qatar. / Baalousha, Husam; Ouda, Omar K.M.
In: Arabian Journal of Geosciences, Vol. 10, No. 24, 537, 01.12.2017.
Baalousha, H & Ouda, OKM 2017, 'Domestic water demand challenges in Qatar', Arabian Journal of Geosciences, vol. 10, no. 24, 537. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-017-3330-4
Baalousha H, Ouda OKM. Domestic water demand challenges in Qatar. Arabian Journal of Geosciences. 2017 Dec 1;10(24). 537. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-017-3330-4
Baalousha, Husam ; Ouda, Omar K.M. / Domestic water demand challenges in Qatar. In: Arabian Journal of Geosciences. 2017 ; Vol. 10, No. 24.
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title = "Domestic water demand challenges in Qatar",
abstract = "Qatar is an arid country with limited water resources due to the low amount of rainfall it receives. With no surface water and an average annual rainfall of 80 mm per year, Qatar relies upon desalination to meet the increasing domestic water demand. The average annual rainfall recharge is around 60 million m3, whereas the total groundwater abstraction is 250 million m3 per year. As a result, groundwater level drops dramatically, thereby inducing brackish water upconing and saline water intrusion. Desalination provides 99{\%} of domestic water demand, which increases continuously as a result of the influx of migrants into the country. The current capacity of desalination plants in Qatar is around 540 million m3 per year. Around 30{\%} of this volume is being lost as a result of leakage in the water system network, and the rest is used for domestic purposes. This paper discusses three different scenarios of water demand until the year 2040. The results of these scenarios show water demand will vary between 516 and 2718 million m3 in the year 2040, depending upon the various trends in population growth, and assuming the current per capita of 500 l/day. The results of this study highlight the need for water rationing and conservation and may help the planners of future water demand.",
keywords = "Desalination, Domestic water demand, Forecast scenarios, Groundwater, Qatar, Water management",
author = "Husam Baalousha and Ouda, {Omar K.M.}",
journal = "Arabian Journal of Geosciences",
T1 - Domestic water demand challenges in Qatar
AU - Baalousha, Husam
AU - Ouda, Omar K.M.
N2 - Qatar is an arid country with limited water resources due to the low amount of rainfall it receives. With no surface water and an average annual rainfall of 80 mm per year, Qatar relies upon desalination to meet the increasing domestic water demand. The average annual rainfall recharge is around 60 million m3, whereas the total groundwater abstraction is 250 million m3 per year. As a result, groundwater level drops dramatically, thereby inducing brackish water upconing and saline water intrusion. Desalination provides 99% of domestic water demand, which increases continuously as a result of the influx of migrants into the country. The current capacity of desalination plants in Qatar is around 540 million m3 per year. Around 30% of this volume is being lost as a result of leakage in the water system network, and the rest is used for domestic purposes. This paper discusses three different scenarios of water demand until the year 2040. The results of these scenarios show water demand will vary between 516 and 2718 million m3 in the year 2040, depending upon the various trends in population growth, and assuming the current per capita of 500 l/day. The results of this study highlight the need for water rationing and conservation and may help the planners of future water demand.
AB - Qatar is an arid country with limited water resources due to the low amount of rainfall it receives. With no surface water and an average annual rainfall of 80 mm per year, Qatar relies upon desalination to meet the increasing domestic water demand. The average annual rainfall recharge is around 60 million m3, whereas the total groundwater abstraction is 250 million m3 per year. As a result, groundwater level drops dramatically, thereby inducing brackish water upconing and saline water intrusion. Desalination provides 99% of domestic water demand, which increases continuously as a result of the influx of migrants into the country. The current capacity of desalination plants in Qatar is around 540 million m3 per year. Around 30% of this volume is being lost as a result of leakage in the water system network, and the rest is used for domestic purposes. This paper discusses three different scenarios of water demand until the year 2040. The results of these scenarios show water demand will vary between 516 and 2718 million m3 in the year 2040, depending upon the various trends in population growth, and assuming the current per capita of 500 l/day. The results of this study highlight the need for water rationing and conservation and may help the planners of future water demand.
KW - Desalination
KW - Domestic water demand
KW - Forecast scenarios
KW - Groundwater
KW - Qatar
KW - Water management
JO - Arabian Journal of Geosciences
JF - Arabian Journal of Geosciences
M1 - 537