$80bn Worth of Water and Wastewater Projects Under Way Across GCC

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$80bn Worth of Water and Wastewater Projects Under Way Across GCC

In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), demand for water is set to rise by about 62 percent by 2025, according to new research by Middle East Economic Digest (MEED).

By Satish Kanady,  The Peninsula

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Representative Image Source: Pixabay, labeled for reuse

 

MEED forecasts that demand for water in the GCC will grow by 62 percent by 2025, which will require the 4,563 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) of installed desalination capacity in 2017 to rise by more than 65 per cent

Demand growth on this scale necessitates significant capital investment in new capacity. Such investment is happening in the region. With more than $80bn-worth of desalination projects under construction or planned in the GCC, governments are turning to the private sector to help finance these crucial projects.

The move towards implementing projects through public-private partnership (PPP) models has been hastened by the volatility of oil prices and is happening alongside the launch of wide-reaching economic reform and development programmes.

The increasing trend of decoupling water production from electricity generation is an important step, as it allows for greater flexibility in supply and reduces capital costs.

But the greatest opportunity to ensure adequate sustainable water supply is to change the way that water is consumed in the region.

Read the full article on   The Peninsula Qatar

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