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Today the Emirates Wildlife Society in association with the World Wide Fund for Nature (EWS-WWF) and the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), launched the ‘Heroes of the UAE’ water campaign, urging UAE residents to adopt simple tips to reduce their water wastage. By implementing just three of the ‘Heroes’ water tips, households can reduce water consumption by up to 46% (252 litres per person) without noticing a change in comfort or lifestyle. If implemented by everyone in the UAE, these tips can save 410 billion litres of water per year, or the equivalent of 164,250 Olympic sized swimming pools.
High consumption of water is an important contributor to the UAE’s Ecological Footprint, the highest Footprint per capita of the world. This is largely because almost 100% of our drinking water is desalinated, a very energy-intensive process which releases carbon dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants into the air and our natural environment. These pollutants accelerate global warming and have dramatic impacts on our long-term health, food supplies and other basic needs. Speaking at the launch, H.E. Dr Rashid bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, explained that the Heroes campaign is focused on highlighting the need to reduce our water consumption, and demonstrating the difference every resident can make through implementing simple every day changes to their routine, “At its heart, the Heroes of the UAE campaign carries a powerful motto, that we believe resonates with all of us – it is about our future, it’s about intergenerational equity, our one planet and our children: ‘A sustainable UAE – every child’s right’.”
The three tips are:
1. Turning taps off - running taps whilst brushing teeth, shaving or washing dishes wastes 34 litres/person/day.
2. Take a shower, not a bath - taking a bath instead of a 5 minute shower wastes 38 litres/person/day.
3. Use a bucket and sponge – washing a car by using a hose pipe instead of a bucket and sponge, wastes 180 litres per wash.
At the launch of the campaign, H.E. Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of EAD said, “In the United Arab Emirates, we face a major challenge in the demand for water. The increase of our population and the growth of our economy have lead to more pressure on our water resources. Through this campaign, in collaboration with our partners at Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority and Emirates Wildlife Society-World Wide Fund for Nature, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi wants to reach out to people with the message that it is high time we save water.
“We want the community to never underestimate the power of their individual efforts. No matter how small their effort to save water, it will help this country in the long term. So we appeal to the public to join us in this campaign and save water at home, in your office, at school, and in your gardens and farms” Al Mansori added.
“As part of our commitment, EAD will be installing water saving devices for free in mosques, schools, commercial and government buildings, and households throughout 2010 in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. These devices will reduce the water consumption of the Emirate by 30%, and will have a significant positive impact on the environment,” said H.E Al Mansouri.
Speaking about the UAE’s water wastage problem, Razan Al Mubarak, Managing Director of EWS-WWF said, “We all need water, but we need to be more careful with it. Our current water consumption levels are unnecessarily high, causing us to desalinate more water than required, which in turn increases our carbon footprint and exacerbates climate change. We can all tackle these issues today by conserving water at home and I urge everyone living in the UAE to join heroesoftheuae.ae.”
‘Heroes of the UAE’, is a national campaign which aims to raise awareness and inspire all sectors of UAE society – individuals, households, schools, businesses and government -- to adopt more sustainable lifestyles and practices. The campaign launched its energy conservation component in February last year to urge UAE society to take action and reduce their high energy consumption. The campaign is now building on the successes of this first phase to launch a water conservation component.
The campaign’s interactive website (www.heroesoftheuae.ae) has been designed specifically to educate visitors about the UAE’s water problem, simple solutions that can be implemented, as well as provide a forum for people to pledge support to take action and join the campaign.
Mr. Abdul Aziz Alshamsi, Business Support Director and representative of Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA), a major sponsor of the campaign, commented “We are delighted to sponsor the ’Heroes of the UAE’ campaign, an initiative that addresses one of the most critical issues of our time, an issue which lies at the heart of ADWEA’s strategic plans. Over one-third of Abu Dhabi’s total CO2 emissions were due to co-generative power and water desalination plant activities. This requires immediate action so let us begin the New Year by pledging to do all we can to help reduce our own unnecessary water consumption and make a huge difference.”
Major sponsors of the ‘Heroes of the UAE’ are the Abu Dhabi Media Company, ADWEA, HSBC Bank Middle East Ltd, and Masdar. The campaign has also been endorsed by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Environment & Water and the Executive Affairs Authority of Abu Dhabi.
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