Goal 6
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation in Bahrain and Government Efforts
Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) focuses on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Bahrain, as an arid country with limited freshwater resources, prioritizes water sustainability, efficient water management, and the provision of clean water and sanitation. The government and the Ministry of Environment play crucial roles in addressing water scarcity and ensuring the sustainable use of water resources.
Key initiatives and efforts include:
Water Desalination: Given Bahrain’s limited freshwater resources, the government heavily relies on desalination to provide clean water for its population. Desalination plants in Bahrain use advanced technologies to produce fresh water from seawater, meeting the demands of both residential and industrial sectors. Continuous investments in desalination technology help improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
Efficient Water Management and Conservation: The Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA), implements water conservation programs that encourage responsible water use. Public awareness campaigns promote water-saving techniques among residents and businesses, emphasizing the importance of preserving Bahrain’s limited water resources. Additionally, policies to monitor and reduce water leakage across the water distribution network help prevent wastage.
Wastewater Treatment and Reuse: Bahrain has invested in modern wastewater treatment facilities that treat and recycle wastewater for agricultural and industrial uses. Treated wastewater is utilized for landscaping and non-potable purposes, helping to reduce the reliance on desalinated water. These efforts support sustainable water management and help alleviate pressure on the country’s limited water resources.
Environmental Regulations and Standards: The Ministry of Environment enforces strict environmental regulations on water quality and pollution control. Industrial operations are required to treat waste before disposal, protecting natural water sources and marine ecosystems from contamination. These regulations are essential for maintaining the quality of available water resources in Bahrain.
Partnerships and International Collaboration: Bahrain actively collaborates with international organizations and neighboring countries to exchange expertise on sustainable water practices. These partnerships help Bahrain adopt best practices in water management and tap into global resources for innovative solutions to water scarcity.
Through these initiatives, Bahrain is committed to achieving SDG 6 by ensuring sustainable water management and promoting clean water access for all residents, despite the challenges of a limited water supply.
SDG 6 at Ahlia University: Promoting Water Conservation and Environmental Responsibility
Ahlia University contributes to SDG 6 by promoting awareness about water conservation, environmental responsibility, and sustainable practices among its students, faculty, and staff. The university integrates sustainability into its campus activities and academic programs, fostering a culture that prioritizes environmental stewardship.
Awareness Campaigns and Educational Programs: Ahlia University regularly holds awareness events on water conservation, sustainable use of resources, and the importance of clean water for communities. These campaigns encourage students to adopt water-saving practices and help them understand the critical importance of sustainable water management, particularly in a water-scarce country like Bahrain.
Research and Innovation in Sustainable Water Practices: Ahlia University supports research initiatives focused on environmental science, water conservation, and sustainable resource management. Faculty and students collaborate on projects that explore innovative ways to manage water efficiently, such as using smart technology for water monitoring or researching alternative water sources. This research contributes valuable knowledge to Bahrain’s water sustainability efforts.
Campus Water Conservation Initiatives: On campus, Ahlia University implements water-saving practices to reduce consumption. The university uses efficient plumbing systems and regularly monitors water usage, promoting a model of sustainable water use. Students and staff are encouraged to participate in these initiatives, making the campus an example of responsible water management.
Community Engagement and Environmental Clubs: The university’s environmental clubs actively engage students in projects and initiatives related to water conservation and sustainability. Students participate in clean-up drives, awareness campaigns, and environmental workshops, learning the importance of protecting natural resources and practicing sustainable habits.
Curriculum Integration and Environmental Studies: Ahlia University integrates environmental and sustainability topics into its curriculum, especially in programs related to environmental sciences, engineering, and business. By incorporating these subjects, the university educates students on global water challenges and encourages them to think critically about solutions, inspiring future leaders in water conservation and environmental stewardship.
Through these efforts, Ahlia University contributes to SDG 6 by educating its academic community on the significance of water conservation and sustainable resource management. This commitment to environmental responsibility aligns with Bahrain’s national goals for clean water and sanitation, reinforcing the role of education in promoting sustainable practices for future generations.
Water Quality in Bahrain
https://water.fanack.com/bahrain/water-quality-bahrain/
Groundwater quality
Prolonged overexploitation of the Dammam aquifer has resulted in water level decline (Figure 1). As a direct consequence, saltwater bodies (seawater and underlying brackish/saline water in the Rus-UER layer) have migrated into the aquifer, leading to a continuous salinization and deterioration of the groundwater quality. Currently, most of the original groundwater reservoir has been lost to salinization, except for a small strip on the north-west of Bahrain Island where the Dammam aquifer’s salinity is less than 3,500 mg/L. Map 1 illustrates the observed 2015 salinity distribution in the Khobar member of the Dammam aquifer.
The salinity of the non-renewable Rus-UER aquifer has remained more or less constant since the beginning of its use at a relatively major scale in 1984 by the industrial sector and in feeding the Ras Abu Jarjur reverse osmosis desalination plant. Figure 1 displays the average salinity (in terms of total dissolved solids).
Drinking water and wastewater quality
Faced with groundwater quality deterioration and escalating municipal water demand, the municipal water authorities implemented a policy that in the mid-1980s started to reduce the reliance on groundwater in the municipal water supply by increasing desalinated water input to meet the standards of drinking water. Figure 2 displays the salinity of the municipal water supply for the period 1985-2015. Major improvements in the salinity in 1999, 2008 and 2014 correspond with major desalination expansion.
The current sanitation system covers most of Bahrain and consists of 127.5 km of trunk sewers, 1,228.3 km of secondary sewers, 1,822 km of lateral sewers including house connections, 85.2 km of pressure lines and 631 pumping and lifting stations.
Guidelines and Procedures for Wastewater Re-use in Bahrain
The Water Resources Council (WRC) in Bahrain is acting on a mandate to maximize the utilization and sustainability of water resources in the country: the Ministry of Oil, as stakeholder in the WRC, has secured funding from the Green Climate Fund for a suite of initiatives aimed at strengthening ways to conserve water.
Bahrain is a water-scarce nation that has traditionally relied on desalinated water. With high operational and environmental costs, this solution is not considered sustainable. To address this issue, our team was appointed by the water resources management unit on behalf of the WRC to create a detailed framework for the reuse of treated wastewater’it needed to be done cost-effectively and in line with the objectives of the National Water Strategy 2030. The result was a comprehensive road map for water reuse that can be applied in other Gulf Cooperation Council countries and other water scarce nations around the world. Our framework determined that reusing tertiary treated sewage effluent would be the most reliable, cost-efficient, and sustainable water resource.
Ultimately, we were able to successfully implement a water reuse program that addresses public health and environmental concerns, technical, legal, financial requirements, and social awareness. This project will help Bahrain meet water reuse targets and reduce the environmental impacts of the desalination process.’
Ahlia University presents research on an intelligent handling of waste
https://www.ahlia.edu.bh/ahlia-university-presents-research-intelligent-handling-waste/
"Al-Ahlia University presents the research of smart waste handling on
"My Northern
Country" solutions have been reviewed including the distribution of
garbage containers, the construction of the population and the place
Al-Ahliyya University, through Professor Hassan Kazim,
presented a research on the project of smart systems to deal with waste,
indicating that the research is according to a theoretical framework and this
research mixes theoretical research with practical reality, and touched on the
reality that has been portrayed and monitored as an element and model of
research that provides ideas and practical solutions to develop waste
management and deal with it. Ali Al-Shuwaikh, Hussein Al-Khayyat, Chairman of
the Administrative Services and Coordination Group at the Council Mahmoud
Al-Afia, the representative of the University, the project coordinator with the
Municipal Council Abdul Imam Al-Sammak, the project presenter Hassan Kazim, and
a group of professors of Al-Ahliyya University. He pointed out that the
problem lies in the surplus in containers of waste, poor distribution of
containers, failure to study the population number and lack of continuous
collection, and reviewed a set of solutions including the distribution of
garbage containers based on the population, place and type to find the optimal
way to collect waste, and it was agreed between the two parties for mutual
cooperation to collect data to complete the conduct of this research to develop
the smart system for waste collection.The Municipal Council of the Northern
Region discussed with the National University ways of cooperation and joint
coordination in order to improve the mechanisms of work and develop research
related to Municipal and service projects.
The Board made a presentation in which it explained its objectives and ideas aimed at improving a range of work mechanisms, including the development of a feasibility study of projects and decisions, which would improve the quality of work and develop the capabilities of the Council's staff.
At the end of the meeting, both the President and the members of the Municipal Council made a number of observations and commended this joint cooperation, appreciating the efforts of Al-Ahliyya University and its educational and developmental role at the level of the Kingdom of Bahrain, hoping that this cooperation will be a fruit with valuable dimensions and results reflected on society and the level of practical reality.
Industrial wastewater quality
The Industrial Wastewater Quality Control Program aims
to reduce the adverse effects of industrial wastewater on the marine
environment by subjecting factory drains to continuous periodic control to
verify that the quality of wastewater discharged from it complies with the
environmental standards adopted by the Supreme Council for the Environment.
Within the framework of this program, industrial establishments are obliged to
collect samples of drained water under the supervision of the Supreme Council for
the Environment, analyze them and periodically provide the Council with reports
showing the results of laboratory analysis, which are then reviewed and take
the necessary action regarding the violations contained therein.
Experimental Application of Centrifugal Separation Techniques ’CST’ on reclaiming Produced wastewater from Oil Refinery, Khartoum State
15المرتبة International Annual Conference, 16المرتبة ’ 18المرتبة May 2017, Sheraton International, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
An Investigation of the Utilization of Energy and Water Conservation Technologies in Bahrain: Entrepreneur opportunity
Environmental management and sustainable development
https://www.ahlia.edu.bh/environmental-management-sustainable-development/
Seminar: Environmental management and sustainable development.
Lecturer: Prof. Amer Al-Roubaie
Venue: Ahlia University
Date: 29/3/2016
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