Page 139 - IJES Special Issues for AIEC2016
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International Journal of Environment and Sustainability, 2016, 5(2): 30-44 39
for potable water is a different matter, as the into account as an existing model that suc-
responsibility of providing it falls on private ceeded in designing a sustainable feasible
sector companies where the investors charge development plan and started to achieve the
consumers the real value of the fresh water benefits of its proposed practices. In a matter of
supply costs. only seven years, starting from the launch of the
Estidama program in 2008 until now, major
When it comes to energy, the calculations get changes in the city’s image can be seen.
even more complicated. Energy in RAK is Residents of the city feel the changes applied by
mainly generated from fossil fuels, oil, and the government. It was hard in the beginning to
natural gas, which the city does not have. The adapt the public to the new rules, regulations,
energy costs include two main factors: purchase and practices; but in a matter of a few years, the
and generation costs and the annual consump- people started coping with the changes and
tion rates. Purchase and generation costs are set finally realized that they were happening for
by the global market prices, and the ministry of their own good. Comparing both the cases of
energy in the UAE calculates the annual RAK and Abu Dhabi, many similarities can be
consumption rates annually. Besides the main found. RAK does not have the same economic
activities (e.g. residential, commercial, indus- assets that supported Abu Dhabi’s vision, but it
trial) that have a share in the energy consump- has other natural assets that can be used as a
tion, the construction sector and the desalina- source of income.
tion process consume huge amounts of energy
that affect the emirate's budget directly. a. Environmentally:
The Rapid Unplanned Development Environment, or the natural surroundings that
we live in, is the host of all our resources,
RAK's unique location on the top of the emirate, including energy, water, air, and earth.
as it is the last emirate in the north, provided a Damaging any of these elements means mani-
good opportunity to host a huge free zone area. pulating the natural balance that we live in. That
This may seem to be a good opportunity for the is why the environmental aspect is always the
emirate's development, yet it is considered a first to be discussed and investigated when it
threat since some unplanned developments comes to sustainable development. The
have started to take place. These developments environmental threats addressed before may
are based on some old outdated plans that do seem very serious, yet they have many feasible
not cope with the rapid needs of the city. The solutions that were tested and practiced before
main area where a good expansion plan is in other areas like Abu Dhabi. The proposed
needed is in industrial activities and their solutions achieved great results in a matter of a
supporting facilities. If unplanned industrial few years. This encourages the reuse of those
expansion continued, then it would be very solutions in RAK.
difficult to be controlled afterward, and the
impact of such activities could be undesirable Resource Substitutes and Savings
environmentally, socially, and economically.
Regarding the lack of natural resources, it is
5. Sustainability Package Proposal easily seen that the water problem will always
come first before any other source. The water
Achieving successful development is not an easy scarcity issue is a general problem across the
task, especially when the development is UAE. Looking at the consumption rate, we find
designed to be sustainable. The goals and that 60% of the total yearly consumption goes
objectives should be as clear as the concerns to industrial, irrigation, and commercial uses.
and threats. Defining general solutions to the This amount of water can be easily substituted
main problem should be highlighted at the with treated wastewater. Over the past 50
beginning of any planning process in order to years, several studies investigated the efficiency
study these solutions in detail and approve or of wastewater treatment in several areas
disapprove them. Abu Dhabi should be taken around the world. Some researchers approved
the procedure and rated it as the optimum
Science Target Inc. www.sciencetarget.com
