Desalination: an imminent solution for the future water needs in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ)

Jordan has recently given distinguished attention to its single and extremely limited sea outlet — Aqaba. An innovative governing system is being established. Aqaba has been declared as a Special Economic Zone Authority. The main objectives of the new authority are to develop Aqaba as a haven for commerce, a destination for tourism, and an incubator for technology. A strong limiting factor to this ambitious planning is the scarcity of fresh water. The conventional water resources utilized to satisfy the increasing water demand will reach the maximum sustainable yield in less than 5 years. At present, water supply is abstracted from groundwater aquifers and amounts to about 16.4 million m3/y (MCM/y). According to the final master plan of the ASEZA, the total consumption is expected to increase by about 5 MCM/y in the first 5 years, 11 MCM/ y in the following 5 years, and about 30 MCM/y by the end of 20 years. The ultimate allocation for ASEZA from the conventional water recourses from the Disi non-renewable aquifer does not exceed 17.5 MCM/y. This identified gap in water supply has definitely to be filled by unconventional water resources such as desalination of seawater and brackish water. The location of ASEZ alongside the Red Sea and over partly brackish aquifers does qualify it for desalination. However, the ASEZA Environmental Commission is currently identifying significant issues to be considered in the mitigation measures when designing desalination plants in order to alleviate adverse environmental impacts to the ecosystem. This paper discusses the expected future water demands, the ASEZA acceptable water standards for the different water uses, and the environmental impact of the desalination plants and their respective mitigation measures.