Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) recently held its 8th community lecture for the year at the Emarat Atrium in Dubai, during which it explored the water challenge that the UAE is facing and made a call to undertake substantial water conservation practices in all aspects of living and production in order to achieve sustainable water consumption.
During the event, Eng. Sarfraz Dairkee, an experienced mechanical engineer and General Manager of Corporate Development & Engineering of MAHY Khoory & Co, discussed the present paradigm of increasing demand for water in the country and the challenge of dwindling resources.
“Population and fast economic growth have pushed up demands for water significantly over the last few years,” said Eng. Dairkee. “The challenge now is to meet these demands adequately given the fact that the country sits in an arid zone and water resources are diminishing.”
Eng. Dairkee also explained the concept of “Water Footprint” by pointing out the related carbon footprint in the production and delivery of water in the region. He added that the magnitude of production of water in the country to meet local demands could not pass without having a corresponding impact on the environment as the process depends on fossil-based energy and huge amounts of brine are dumped in the sea.
During the lecture, Eng. Dairkee also pointed out how sustainability in water production and consumption can still be achieved, and outlined several innovative ways to address the water challenge as an individual and as a society. He mentioned simple conservation measures for families and homes and hi-technology co-generation plants for recycling as some of the solutions. He also mentioned the need for water recycling in homes, buildings and factories.
Eng. Dairkee has 25 years of hands-on professional experience in a wide-range of technologies. A LEED accredited professional, Eng. Dairkee is a founding board member of the Emirates Green Building Council and heads the Technical Committee. For the past 15 years in the UAE, he has been working on pumping systems, desalination, filtration and sewage treatment plants.
Habiba Al Marashi, Chairperson EEG, who delivered the opening address, said, “We may get clean and adequate water every time we open the tap in our homes but we do not see the process of producing it. We do not hear the humming of huge desalination plants. Certainly we do not feel the pinch of the extra cost of getting water ready and available when we get our water bills… Given the current realities, a new call is therefore being made to conserve water resources by adopting local solutions.”
She then urged the public to become more proactive in environmental protection. She added that consumption of water should be done with growing efficiency to serve more people now and in the future.
At the end of the lecture, Al Marashi thanked Eng. Dairkee for his engaging presentation and presented him with a crystal as a token of EEG’s gratitude. She also presented certificates of membership to new EEG corporate members who were present at the workshop.
Al Marashi informed the audience that EEG is still accepting entries for the Arabia CSR Awards which will have its gala ceremony on October 26, 2009. She also thanked the attendees for supporting the historic 8th Community Lecture for the year.
Finally she invited the community to take part in upcoming EEG events like the Students’ Workshop in October, the Inter-College Public Speaking Competition in November and the much-awaited ‘Clean-Up UAE’ in December.
The community lecture is EEG’s free public service on pressing environmental issues and concerns. It is attended by people from different backgrounds and orientations but having a common concern for the environment.
