By Yasser Nagi, Group Director Middle East and North Africa, and Managing Director, UAE

Sustainability has become the need of the hour across the globe, and the Middle East region, owing to its geographical location requires conscious efforts to achieve optimum water sustainability. Utilizing a variety of IoT technologies to promote transparency and ensure prudent and sustainable use of water resources, planning, developing, distributing, and regulating the use of water resources is highly necessitated. It applies to a variety of industries and urban settings, including farming, industry, and services.

Creating better software and solutions to support battery storage for renewable energy, improving water quality and quantity, and quantifying the economic benefits of nature are some of the few pressing issues that can be resolved by developing smart solutions.

One of the UAE’s major priorities is to innovate with water to promote sustainable agricultural, desalination, and industrial usages. While it might seem contradictory, it is crucial for a dry region to be the source of water innovation.

Smart technologies have the potential to enhance sustainability and the UAE government has been setting the pace in region. The ‘Dubai Smart City’ concept, which includes over thousand smart services and 100 smart initiatives, serves as an exceptional instance the nation’s leading position in water sustainability efforts.

The public sector and utilities industry need to use digital water technology to boost economic and sustainability potential as the government expects to benefit from investment in smart cities and places considerable emphasis on water management services. The Middle East’s most technologically advanced utility sector has already been established in the UAE, where organisations like Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to give the emirate market-leading smart water solutions.

By reducing non-revenue water losses, smart water networks can safely treat, monitor, and distribute water in the area, easing the region’s water shortage. Real-time data from smart water networks is used to identify weak spots that could eventually develop into leaks or ongoing leaks to reveal previously unmeasured low flow of water.

In order to combat the growing issues of water scarcity, water management technologies and activities can be used to reduce water waste in water-intensive industries, monitor water quality to combat pollution and disease, increase water system efficiency, raise awareness of household water use, and provide running water through creative solutions.

The need for water will rise as a result of population expansion, lifestyle changes, development, and agricultural activities. The impact of climate change on rainfall patterns is unclear and the pace of change and its immediate effects are, nevertheless, largely understood. Therefore, ensuring sustainable access to water in both regular and emergency situations in accordance with national laws and World Health Organisation standards is at the heart of the UAE government’s strategy. As part of this approach, innovation and technology are essential for safety and water efficiency.