Qatar is paying much attention to ensuring water security and has a well-established system to achieve its goals, officials of the Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) have said.
In a Qatar TV documentary on water security, Kahramaa president Essa bin Hilal Al-Kuwari said water safety is one of the top priorities of Qatar.
“Water security is of utmost importance in the GCC...and one of the priorities of (the) countries and governments,” he said, adding that Qatar is depending on local water resources to get quality drinking water as well as water used for industrial purposes. “To attain this, Qatar has invested a lot of money in water production and construction of water stations. This is achieved through co-operation between Kahramaa and other companies. The latest of such initiatives is the Umm Al Houl Power Plant,” he said.
The plant is considered one of the largest in the Middle East and also one of the most environment-friendly.
Abdul Aziz Mohamed al-Qatabri, head of the National Water Control Centre of Kahramaa, said the corporation’s distribution networks ensure that water reaches the consumer without any interruption. “All production stations in the country are monitored and controlled,” he said.
Jabr al-Nuaimi, head of the Water Projects Section at Kahramaa, the reservoirs at Um Baraka, Umm Slal, Rawdat Rashid, Abu Nakhla and Al Thumama will ensure water availability from the north of the country to the south covering various areas.
Maryam Mohamed Abdullah, head of the Water Quality Laboratory Department, said the laboratory works to provide consulting services by a team of experts.
Fatima al-Misnad, head of Awareness and Community Development at the Department of Conservation and Energy Efficiency, said the National Programme for Conservation and Energy Efficiency (Tarsheed) was launched under the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and it focuses on conserving energy and water through rational use and the reduction of carbon emission.
Khaled Ali al-Rashid, head of the Groundwater and Wells Department, said there are more than 6,500 wells that are being used for agricultural purposes in Qatar, while 316 are used for water harvesting, 328 for fresh water and 150 for monitoring.
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