As part of efforts to enhance water security, food production and security as well as promote sustainable agriculture, Qatar targets to reach an average of 40% improvement in water consumption per tonne of crop produced by 2030, said an official.
Speaking during a panel session at the third International Conference on Sustainable Energy-Water-Environment Nexus in Desert Climates (ICSEWEN’23), Dr. Delphine Acloque from the Ministry of Municipality said it is vital to improve the way water is used.
“It’s not easy to replenish water, especially in arid countries. So we need to promote water-efficient, water-saving farming methods. The target for Qatar by 2030 will be to reach an average of 40% improvement in water consumption per tonne of crop produced,” Dr. Acloque told the panel titled ‘Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture in Desert.’
She added that Qatar is promoting the use of treated wastewater or treated sewage effluent (TSE). She said this treated wastewater is mainly used as part of animal feed, especially for fodder. Dr. Alcloque disclosed that Qatar aims to reach 100% of water TSE for fodder irrigation by 2030.
She, however, noted that some challenges persist, including how to transport TSE water and trade-offs on how to use it. She added that infrastructure and finance are critical components of maximising TSE usage, as well as deciding whether to use TSE water for fodder, planting trees, and landscaping in the cities.—Zawya
