The Deputy Minister of Water and Electricity, Luay Al-Musallam, has warned the public of the seriousness of the water situation in the country. According to him, Saudis do not appreciate the dangers that could result from the scarcity of the precious commodity; present individual consumption in the Kingdom is more than 300 liters per day compared to 100 liters in Japan and 70 liters in Jordan. At the same time, the cost of water in Saudi Arabia remains extremely low in comparison to other countries.
The latest warning was issued to coincide with the launch of a water-saving campaign planned by the ministry. The campaign aims to increase public awareness of the problem and make people realize how serious the situation is.
It remains to be seen, however, whether the public will respond positively and begin reducing water consumption or whether the campaign will meet with the usual indifference and lack of interest that has characterized previous campaigns. The officials in charge of the campaign remain hopeful of raising the degree of awareness among the public concerning the seriousness of the situation.
If the campaign succeeds in convincing everyone of the need to reduce consumption by 30 percent, the country would be able to save quantities of water equal to that pumped by four desalination plants. Nonetheless, until the public response is clear, the ministry officials remain concerned since it is they, more than anyone else, who are aware of the real picture. In countries not far from us which have flowing rivers and other water sources, a war of words is in progress.
The war of words could sadly degenerate into a real armed conflict in the near future if no solution is found to what is a potential water problem. At a time when other countries are working hard to reduce water consumption, we in the Kingdom continue to live under the illusion created by an earlier announcement that said we had water reserves capable of meeting our needs for the next two centuries. Within ten years of that announcement, we discovered that our water reserves were fast running out and that a permanent threat is looming not far away.
I have always opposed increases in the price of basic commodities and services because the fixed income people are always the first casualty of any price hike.
Given the prevailing water situation, however, I would not blame the ministry if it moved to adopt draconian measures to force people to reduce their water consumption. When humans, animals and plants are threatened and no one listens, forcing people to pay for what they get becomes a duty dictated by national interests.
