Arcadis' Sustainable Cities Water Index, which assesses water of cities worldwide based on resiliency, efficiency and quality, ranks Jeddah and Riyadh as the top cities in the region for water quality based on their efforts toward recycling wastewater.
Arcadis collaborates with the Centre for Economics and
Business Research (CEBR) to study and document water sustainability in 50
cities around the world. Saudi Arabia needs to invest more in the area’s
ability to reuse stormwater and to handle drinking water shortages, the report
finds. City leaders are tasked with climate adaptation and resiliency as the most
pertinent issues to resolve.
“Water demand is rising, aquifers are being depleted and the threat of extreme weather is increasingly real, meaning that cities in the region can be stressed without enough water,” Sameer Daoud, global business leader for Water at Arcadis Middle East, said. “Our water index highlights the areas of opportunity for cities to inform decision-making around how they use and manage water, hopefully making them more sustainable economically, environmentally and for the benefit of the people.”
The index cites Saudi Arabia’s surge in population as the main stressor on water challenges in the region. The Ministry of Water's increase on the water tariff will demand a large reduction in the country’s water use.