Qatar taps into the value of water

There will definitely be a system or mechanism in the future to make Qataris realise the value of water, Qatar National Food Security Programme chairman Fahad bin Mohamed al-Attiya has said. “It is absolutely crucial to say that water has to have a certain value, in fact it is more valuable to us than oil and gas. If you expect to pay for petrol, why not for water?” he asked. Speaking on the sidelines of the 45th meeting of the board of governors of the World Water Council yesterday, al-Attiya said that one way or the other, water has to be measured and valued at some point. “One also has to understand that this country and its people never had access to water for many centuries. So the right to access water has come as a result of the total absence of access to water, before the desalination plant came. “Though the population of Qatar who have that right, actually constitute a very little fragment of the total consumption, it is still significant in the sense that they have to consume more efficiently, wisely and by understanding the value of water, even if they do not pay for it. “Today we don’t have that hardship of the past generations and we want to make sure that we act responsibly. It is not a punitive measure or something that we want people to think of as a measure to stop them or having access to water. “It is simply recognition of the value of that precious resource. That recognition could be symbolic, or it could be represented in the fact that your home is equipped with the right system, otherwise you would be charged. “So, it can be defined in many ways, and I leave that to Kahramaa to decide on how to tackle water and electricity issues.” Al-Attiya, who recently led the Qatari delegation to the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille, France, reiterated that every drop of water has to be valued in Qatar, one of the countries having the least quantity of renewable water resources in the world while being the highest per capita consumer. “We cannot waste any drop of water, whether it is primary or secondary. Primary in the sense that it comes from desalination plant, secondary in the sense that the water that we generate as a result of our usage. “All of that will have to be used one way or other. We are working with our partners including Ashghal, Kahramaa, Qatar Electricity & Water Company in this regard. “HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, who launched the QNFSP, is very much keen on integrating all the different elements and co-ordinating these different plans to produce a comprehensive framework to achieve water and food security by 2024.” Many of the appliances, tools or systems used for home, office or commercial purposes tend to be less efficient, al-Attiya said while pointing out that Tarsheed, a new national campaign is aimed for conservation and efficient use of water and electricity. Every drop counts Schoolchildren have to be informed about the value of water, Qatar National Food Security Programme chairman Fahad bin Mohamed al-Attiya suggested yesterday. “If you ask children at schools or playgrounds, they know very little about where water comes from. Tell them how water is produced,” he urged. The official called upon Qatar residents to practise water conservation measures actively. Do not leave the water running when brushing teeth. Keep some water in a glass for the purpose. Wash cars with water in a bucket, instead of using a hose. When building a house, think about the most efficient way in designing the water recycling system. For instance, greywater (wastewater generated from domestic activities such as laundry, dishwashing, and bathing,) could be captured at home and used for gardening, car washing, and other purposes. “These are all small but important techniques to consume water more efficiently, but many people are not aware of them,” al-Attiya added.