Water Scarcity Management to Ensure Food Scarcity through Sustainable Water Resources Management in Saudi Arabia

Bader Alhafi Alotaibi (), Mirza Barjees Baig, Mohamed M. M. Najim, Ashfaq Ahmad Shah and Yosef Alamri
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Bader Alhafi Alotaibi: Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Society, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Mirza Barjees Baig: Prince Sultan Institute for Environmental, Water & Desert Research, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Mohamed M. M. Najim: Department of Zoology and Environmental Management, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya 11600, Sri Lanka
Ashfaq Ahmad Shah: Nanjing Research Center for Environment and Society, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-16

Abstract: Saudi Arabia (SA) faces a water shortage, and it further challenges sustainable agriculture, industrial development and the well-being of people. SA uses more than 80% of its water resources for agricultural purposes. Groundwater extractions account for most of this demand, which is not sustainable. Hence, this study aims to analyze water management practices used in SA to propose viable and workable solutions to achieve sustainable management of scarce water resources. This study is based on a critical evaluation of information available on the water sector in SA. About 89% of the water demand in the Kingdom is non-sustainably met through over-pumping from groundwater resources and 9.3% by energy-intensive desalination. SA invested in dams and developed rainwater harvesting to enhance surface water availability and increase the recharge capacity of renewable aquifers. As there is a huge demand–supply gap, water demand management tools are the viable solutions leading to sustainability compared to supply enhancement that is capital intensive. A national agricultural policy, together with a water policy, can make agricultural systems more input efficient with higher productivity. Region-specific sustainable water resources management plans need to be implemented to match the demand–supply gap. Conjunctive water uses utilizing and prioritizing different water sources viz. harvested rainwater, treated wastewater, desalinized water, and groundwater, is vital in sustainable water resources management. In addition, climate change has exerted pressure on the available water resources and water uses as well as users, leading to adaptation for measures that are more sustainable in terms of water management. The most pressing problem SA faces in water resources management is the depletion and degradation of surface and subsurface water sources. SA has to implement many technological and legislative changes in addition to service management, conservation measures, paying a reasonable and justifiable price for water, and strengthening state agencies that will make water resources management in SA sustainable.

Keywords: water scarcity; sustainability; water resources; scarcity management; Saudi Arabia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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