The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, DEWA, organised awareness activities to mark World Water Day, which is observed on 22nd March, with this year’s theme being ‘Leaving no one behind’.
This is part of DEWA’s strategy to promote awareness of the need to conserve natural resources. Activities at their offices were aimed at informing customers and employees about the importance of following a sustainable lifestyle by using electricity and water wisely. DEWA also organised an awareness activity at the Global Village in Dubai that targeted visitors from different age groups. The activity included a video of the Adventures of Noor & Hayat, the two conservation mascots, prizes for competitions, as well as distributing gifts to children and participants.
"Population and economic growth have placed unprecedented pressures on water, with water scarcity affecting over 40 percent of the world’s population. The Middle East and North Africa is the most water-scarce region in the world, with over 60 percent of the region’s population living in areas with high or very high surface water stress, compared with a global average of about 35 percent," said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA.
"The wise leadership in the UAE attaches great importance to water security, which is one of the seven strategic sectors of the National Innovation Strategy, and one of the main pillars of UAE Vision 2021. The UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 aims to ensure sustainable access to water during both normal and emergency conditions. At DEWA, we have a comprehensive approach to ensure the sustainability of water resources in line with the Dubai Integrated Water Resource Management Strategy, which focuses on enhancing water resources, rationalising water consumption, and using cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions to reduce water consumption by 30 percent by 2030. World Water Day is an invitation to all members of society to conserve natural resources, especially water," he added.
DEWA’s conservation programmes and initiatives over the past 10 years have achieved significant savings in electricity and water. Between 2009 and 2018, cumulative savings in target groups reached 2 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity and 7.4 billion gallons of water, equivalent to AED 1.2 billion. These savings were achieved in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, educational institutions, governmental and semi-governmental organisations. These savings are equivalent to an annual electricity consumption from approximately 305,000 apartments and annual water consumption of 241,000 apartments. This has contributed to reducing one million tonnes of carbon emissions equivalent to planting 1.2 million trees and the consumption of 122 million LED lights, while water saving was equivalent to filling up 13,000 Olympic swimming pools.