NATIONAL UAE – Work has begun on a Dh1.6 billion plan to stockpile vital supplies of water underground. The huge reservoir near Liwa could supply Abu Dhabi’s basic water needs for three months if desalination plants failed, offering a cushion to a system that today can store only two days’ supply. The reserve would be activated in the event of a national emergency, for example, if a large oil spill contaminated the waters of the Gulf. The reserve is a logical step for an emirate that depends on desalination to supply 98 per cent of its potable water, experts said. Read More
