Water in the GCC countries is a particularly
scarce resource. They are mainly dependent on
groundwater, desalination and treated wastewater.
Natural water scarcity is further worsened by
rapidly growing demands, unsustainable use
patterns, increased water pollution and weak
management institutions and regulations. Many
groundwater aquifers in GCC countries are being
mined in an uncontrolled and unplanned manner,
either because it has not been possible to regulate
the access to these aquifers and/or they are non-
renewable. Unplanned groundwater mining
erodes the economic and social sustainability of
the communities that depend on the depleting
storage. Whether the groundwater mining is
inadvertent or planned, there is a need for guide-
lines to make the concerned communities better
prepared economically and socially to cope with
the increasing water stresses as the storage is
depleted.
Table 1 shows that the annual groundwater
recharge in GCC countries is about 4,875 MCM.
Groundwater abstractions during 2002 exceeded
the annual replenishment of about 14,697 MCM
which is about 75%. Thus, considerable ground-
water mining takes place, mainly for irrigation
use. Because of the overexploitation, the actual
contribution of groundwater to the total use in the
region is more than 75%. At a country level,
groundwater abstractions are currently the main
source of water in the GCC countries. Overall,
the contribution of groundwater abstractions to
total demand ranges from less than 68% (in
Kuwait) to more than 90% (in Bahrain).
By the year 2015, it is estimated that the water
deficit in the region will reach about 36% of the
renewable plus non-conventional supplies. It is
expected that this deficit will have to be met
largely from non-renewable groundwater aquifers.
Hence, it is important to develop adequate guide-
lines and regulations for groundwater mining.