GROUNDWATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN SAUDI

ARABIA

Walid A. Abderrahman
Professor, Water Resources Management
President, Saudi Water Association

Special Presentation at Water Conservation

Workshop
Khober, Saudi Arabia
December, 2006
 CONTENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• WATER RESOURCES IN SAUDI
ARABIA
• WATER SUPPLY SOURCES IN
SAUDI ARABIA
• IMPACTS OF INTENSIVE USE
OF GROUNDWATER AND
ADOPTED MEASURES
• ADDITIONAL MANAGEMENT
ACTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE
WATER RESOURCES
• CONCLUSIONS
WATER RESOURCES IN SAUDI ARABIA
The extension of the outcrop areas of principle and secondary
aquifers in agricultural regions i Saudi Arabia
Available Water resources in Saudi Arabia in 2003-2004(MCM)

Surface water 5,000-8,000 (2,230 available for use)

2,269,000
Groundwater resources (84,000 renewable groundwater in
shallow aquifers)
3,958
Groundwater recharge (1,196 to shallow aquifers and 2,762 to
deep aquifers in the Arabian Shelf)
Desalination 1,050
Treated wastewater 240
 Average Water Share

The total volumes of available renewable water

resources from surface water and groundwater
recharge are about 6,188 MCM. The average water
share from renewable resources is about 281 cubic
meters per person in 2005. According to the scarcity
index the country is under extreme water shortages.
But, when the non-renewable groundwater resources
are considered, the situation of the available water
resources will be different.
 NATIONAL

DEVELOPMENT AND

WATER USE IN

THE KINGDOM
 60
Population Urban Population
50

Population (million)
40

30

20

10

0
1970 1980 1990 2000 2020 2025
Year

Population Growth in Saudi Arabia

GROWTH IN WATER DEMANDS
Growth in Industrial, Domestic, and Agricultural,
water demands in the Kingdom

25000 23,761
23,271
22,833 22,451
21,361
20,474 20,083
19,271 19,271 19,271 19,271
20000 18,776
Water Demand MCM

15000

9,972
9,470
10000
6,238
6,018

5000 3,400 3,740

2,300 2,700
1,508 1,800
600 750
20 200 56 446 190 290 450 480
0
1970 1980 1990 2000 2003 2010 2020 2025
Year
Industrial Water Demands Domestic Water Demand
Agicultuue Water Demand Total Water Demand
WATER SUPPLY SOURCES IN SAUDI ARABIA
 Water Supply in Saudi Arabia (MCM)

Water source 1980 1990 1992 2000 2003

Treated wastewater
110 110 110 240 240
effluents

Desalination 200 540 540 1050 1050

Surface water & recharge

to deep and shallow
6000 6000 6000 6000 6000
aquifers (renewable
water)
Groundwater 3,662 13,824 17,628 14,071 15,543
nonrenewable (36.7%) (67.5%) (75.7%) (65.9%) (68%)

Total 9,972 20,474 23,278 21,361 22,833

 Water Supply in Saudi Arabia (MCM)
100% 200 540 540 1050
1050
90%

80% 3,662
70%

60% 110 13,824 16,628 14,071 15,543

50%

40%

30% 6,000 110 240

110 240
20%
6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000
10%

0%
1980 1990 1992 2000 2005

Surface water and recharge Treated wastewater Groundwater(nonrenewable) Desalination

 Groundwater Supplies in Saudi Arabia

30000
Water renewable Fossil water
16930 18525
25000
Water Cons. ( MCM)

16783 15876 15563 15563

16738 16458 15240
12981 15178 1564814591 15643
13776
20000 9440 11801
9349 9230
6728
15000 5853 15563
44385181
3720
10000

5000

0
80

82

84

86

88

90

92

94

96

99

01

03

05
19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

20

20

20
Year
Accumulative Groundwater Consumption in Saudi Arabia

20000

202,000
87,000
estimated cumulative use of non-
18000
Groundwater extraction (MCM/a)

renewable groundwater reserve (MCM

16000 groundwater extraction

14000
total groundwater
12000 extraction

10000
8000
6000 extraction of non-
bl
4000
2000 estimated renewable
0
80

82

84

86

88

90

92

94

96

99

01

03
19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

20

20
Case Studies
EASTERNPROVINCE
EASTERN PROVINCE
EASTERNPROVINCE
EASTERN PROVINCE
EASTERNPROVINCE
EASTERN PROVINCE
The Eastern Province has a very low
annual precipitation (about 63 mm)
and groundwater resources from local
aquifers are the main water supply
source for about 90% of the total
demands in the province
Population Growth in Eastern Province

4,000,000
3,500,000
3,000,000
Population

2,500,000
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
1980 1990 2005
Year
 Growth in Water Use in Eastern Province

Domestic & Ind. Agricultural Total

2000
Water Consumption

1750
1500
(MCM)

1250
1000
750
500
250
0
1980 1990 2005
Year
AquiferSystem
Aquifer Systemin
inEastern
EasternSaudi
SaudiArabia
Arabia
Present Water Abstractions from Dammam
Aquifer in Greater Dammam Area (MCM)

Domestic Municipal Agricultural Industrial Total

350

300

250
Abstraction MCM

200

150

100

50

0
1967 1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003
Year
Present Water Abstractions from UER Aquifer in
Greater Dammam Area (MCM)

ARAMCO KFUPM Air Base Al-Khobar

Airport Municipality Total
100
90
80
Abstraction MCM

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1967 1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003
Year
 History of Water Abstractions (MCM)

Neogene Aquifer Dammam Aquifer UER

Groundwater Abstraction(MCM)

800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Year
Impacts of Increase in
Groundwater
Abstraction on levels
and qualities
DAMMAM
AQUIFER
 The Impact of Increase in Groundwater Pumping from
Dammam aquifer on water level ( 1967-2005)

Total W.L.Well No Q6K Dammam W.L.Ras Tunura

600 14
Water Extraction Rate MCM

12

Water Level in Meters MSL

500 10
400 8
6
300 4
2
200 0
100 -2
-4
0 -6
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Year
 The Impact of Increase in Groundwater Pumping from
Dammam Aquifer on Salinity level Change
in Dammam Area (1967-2005)

Total TDS
600 6000
G ro u n d w a te r A b s tra c tio n

500 5000

400 4000

T D S (p p m )
(M C M )

300 3000

200 2000

100 1000

0 0
1965 1975 1985 1995 2005
Year
 UMM ER
RADHUMA
AQUIFER
 The Impact of Increase in Groundwater Pumping
from UER aquifer on water level in Dhahran Area
(1967-2004)

Total W.L. Well # 811

800 12

Water Level in meters MSL

700
10
Extraction Rate MCM

600
8
500
400 6
300
4
200
2
100
0 0
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Year
 The Impact of Increase in Groundwater Pumping from UER
Aquifer on Salinity level Change
in Dhahran Area (1979-2005)

Total Abstraction TDS

800 5000
700 4500
4000
A b stra ctio n M C M

600
3500

T D S (m g /l)
500 3000
400 2500
300 2000
1500
200
1000
100 500
0 0
1967 1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003
Year
NEOGENE
AQUIFER
The Impact of Increase in Groundwater Pumping
from Neogene aquifer on water level
(1951-2005)

Neogene Aquifer W. L. Well # HH2N

600 160
Water Extraction Rate MCM

Water Level in Meters MSL

140
500
120
400
100
300 80
60
200
40
100
20
0 0
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Year
 The Impact of Increase in Groundwater Pumping from
Neogene Aquifer on Salinity level Change
(1979-2005)

Neogene Aquifer TDS - Umm Saba'ah TDS-Haqel

600 2500
A b s tra c tio n (M C M )

500 2000
G ro u n d w a te r

400

T DS (p p m )
1500
300
1000
200
100 500

0 0
1965 1975 1985 1995 2005
Year
North Western
North Western Province
Province
North Western
North Western Province
Province
North Western
North Western Province
Province
 North Western
North Western Province
Province

• More than 1,500 wells have been pumping about

2,300 MCM/year of groundwater with salinity
level of less than 400 ppm since 1986.

• About 48 BCM of groundwater have been

pumped after 1986.

• This is equivalent to 3.5 times the total

production of the desalination since early
seventies of the last century until now.
 ADOPTED MEASURES FOR
IMPROVEMENT OF GROUNDWATER
MANAGEMENT
Utilization of non-renewable groundwater can occur in
two approaches:
• Planned schemes in which the mining of aquifer
reserves is based on logical utilization of aquifer
reserves with expected benefits and predicted impacts
over a specified time-frame.
• An unplanned basis with incidental depletion of
aquifer reserves, as a result of intensive
groundwater abstraction under limited recharge
conditions.
Prior 2001, the government (Ministry of Agriculture and
Water) has adopted several regulations for proper
utilization of groundwater resources. These include:
•Special permits from the Ministry for well drilling
including site, aquifer, depth, design, development and
production;
•Supervision of well drilling and development by the
Ministry,
•Control on the purpose of water use by the Ministry,
•Pan on well drilling in over pumped areas or in aquifers
which suffer from water level declines and quality change.
•The Ministry has also the right to claim water protected
zones for special uses such as domestic purpose.
In July 2001, The Ministry of Water
was announced to be responsible for
all related issues of water in the
Kingdom. All water agencies and
authorities became under the Ministry
after the appointment of the Minister
of Water (MW) in September 2002.
This is to secure effective water
management and national planning,
and to achieve the sustainability of
water resources and continuity of the
development and progress of the
country
The specific objectives of the new Ministry as stated in the
Royal Decree No 125 on 25/4/1422 (16 July 2001) are:

• To supervise the water sector and its facilities, and the

management, monitoring and organization of this sector.

• To carry out all related studies to water in order to assess it

resources, storage and available volumes.

• To prepare a comprehensive water plan defining the policies

related to water, development of its resources, and water
resources protection and conservation for different
purposes.
The Ministry has adopted the Integrated Water
Resources Management (IWRM) as the main
tool to achieve sustainability of water resources
and development of the Kingdom.
IWRM is a process which promotes the
coordinated development and management of
water, land and related resources in order to
maximize the resultant economic and social
welfare in an equitable manner without
compromising the sustainability of vital
ecosystems
 Objectives, tools and actions of IWRM
(World Bank, 2003)

Environmental and Ecological Sustainability

Enabling
Environment

ts
en In
st
um Policies itu
str tio
Legislation
t In na
Fora & mechanisms for
en participation
lR
m Level of ol
age Allocation International cooperation
action
es
an Regulations …
Management
M Economic Tools
… boundaries
Cap. Build., …

Economic Efficiency Social Equity

(Economic Sustainability) (Social Sustainability)
Stages of groundwater resource development in a major aquifer
and their corresponding management needs (UNEP, 2003)

Groundwater
Conditions in Saudi
Arabia
Targets for groundwater resources management in ‘rationalization
scenarios’ following indiscriminate and excessive exploitation
(UNEP, 2003)

Groundwater Recovery
in Saudi Arabia
Rationale Groundwater Resources Management in Saudi Arabia
Following Excessive Exploitation 2003

25,000 0
Water Consumption (MCM)

-20

Water Level (m.s.l.)

20,000
Sustainable
-40 Level
15,000
-60
10,000
-80
5,000 -100
0 -120
1968 1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 2003
Water Consumption Water Level
Corrective demand management measures for agricultural
purposes such as:
•75% reduction in wheat areas (since 1975)
•About 40% reduction in forage crops (mainly after 2001).
•National water strategy tied with agricultural national
strategy (strategy is in final stages).
•Further agricultural water demand reduction measures
are expected soon. Reduction of at least 30% of
agricultural water use is important to protect the
groundwater sustainability.
Corrective demand management measures for domestic
purposes in urban and rural areas have been
implemented. Daily savings of about 30% of domestic use
or about 524,000 M3 (equal to the production of 4
desalination plants) have been achieved .
Furthermore, The MOWE has introduced a new strategy
for PPP in managing the water and wastewater in major
cities and tows in KSA. A new National Water Company
owned totally by the Government and supervised by the
MOWE has been announced in October 2006.
CONCLUSIONS
Saudi Arabia has relied on groundwater resources to
support its comprehensive socio economic, agricultural and
industrial developments especially during the last three
decades. Understanding the characteristics of the aquifer,
the government has followed rationalizes approach to
utilize groundwater resources especially after 1993, by
controlling aquifer development, well licensing and drilling,
agriculture policy modification, production of non
conventional water resources.
More serious measures have been taken after the
establishment of Ministry of Water and Electricity in 2001
by the adoption of IWRM tools for achieving the
objectives of the national water policy and to accomplish
the sustainability of groundwater resources.
Corrective demand management measures such
as major shifting and reduction in agricultural
areas, water conservation and reuse of treated
wastewater effluents have to be carried out to
protect the aquifers and groundwater resources
in the Kingdom.
Thank You