The Infinity of Water - A Culture of Abundance
The Fallacy of Infinite Water:
In the UAE, the notion of the “infinity of water” reflects a belief that water scarcity can be endlessly managed through technological innovation, regardless of the environmental and economic costs. This belief is rooted in the country's immense wealth, which has enabled the government to invest in costly water-generating technologies like desalination and cloud seeding. However, this facade of abundance masks the underlying issue of unsustainable water consumption.Manifestations of Water Abundance:
The UAE’s culture of abundance is evident in its extravagant displays of water usage:
- Lush Green Spaces: For about 30 miles, the road from Abu Dhabi to Dubai is lined with date palms, green grass, and even wildflowers—plants that require significant water to maintain in such an arid environment. The government spends vast resources to sustain these foreign plants, despite the country's severe water stress.
- Artificial Lakes and Fountains: Dubai is home to the Burj Lake and the Dubai Fountain, advertised as the largest in the world. These water features, along with attractions like Deep Dive Dubai—the deepest pool globally—consume millions of gallons of fresh water, primarily sourced from desalination.
- Ski Resorts in the Desert: Ski Dubai, an indoor resort featuring artificial snow and even penguins, further exemplifies the UAE's culture of water abundance. Maintaining such facilities in a desert nation underscores the unsustainable use of water resources.
Consequences of the Infinity of Water: The UAE’s reliance on desalination to sustain its culture of abundance has significant environmental repercussions. The increasing salinity of the Arabian Gulf, a direct result of desalination, makes it increasingly difficult and inefficient to continue using this technology. The ecological damage caused by this process, including the destruction of coral reefs and the creation of oceanic dead zones, poses a serious threat to the region’s biodiversity and economy.
The UAE’s approach to water management, which prioritizes the illusion of infinite resources over sustainability, is not sustainable in the long term. As the environmental costs of desalination and other water-generating technologies continue to rise, the country may face a critical water crisis that no amount of wealth can solve.