United Arab Emirates University

College of Engineering

Assignment 1

Submitted for Partial Fulfillment of the

By
Rubna Kunhabdulla

201470472

Salama Al Dhaheri
200813676
Miada Abubaker Osman

200734767

Haliemeh Sweidan

201470408

Hana Mustafa Abusabiekeh

201470462

Project Advisor(s): Dr. Rezaul K. Chowdhury

Fall 2015/2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

Page

List of Figures
iii
Introduction
1
Climate
2
Water Resources
Soil And Natural Resources
6
Native
9
Heritage

Plants

And
And

Animals
Culture

11
Conclusion
13
References

14

iii

List of Figures
Figure
Figure 1

Page
Main aquifer in the UAE

iii

1. INTODUCTION

2. CLIMATE
The United Arab Emirates draws sun seekers from all corners of the globe due to the fact
that it is blessed with year-round sunshine, blue skies and very little rain.
The UAE Climate features extreme heat and wet because of its sandy landscape, although it
is cooler in the eastern mountains. UAE weather is sunny all the year round; the months
between June and September are the hottest, when the temperatures soar up to 45C which
makes life difficult. It is almost impossible to get out during the day. Even at night,
temperature and humidity in the air don't drop that much. The outdoor activities are to be
forgotten during this period. The cooler months are characterized by infrequent spells of
rainfall during the months of December and March.
The average minimum temperatures in January and February are between 10 and 14 C. The
average annual rainfall in the coastal area is fewer than 120 mm (4.7 in), but in some
mountainous areas the annual rainfall often reaches 350 mm (13.8 in).
There is no really significant difference in the climate depending on your location within the
UAE, due to the relatively small size of the country. All major cities, excepted Al Ain, are on
the coast and therefore share the same climate. You will find the same climate in Abu Dhabi,
in Dubai, or in the Northern Emirates.
The temperature of the seawater in the UAE obviously depends on the temperature of the air.
In winter, the sea is relatively cold: around 20 C in the Persian Gulf (in Abu
Dhabi and Dubai) and a little cooler on the coast of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, to 16
C or 18 C for the coldest days.

In summer, water reaches temperatures that one will imagine unthinkable. In the Persian
Gulf, the sea rises to 38 C, making it a real soup: hot and very salty. In the emirate
of Fujairah, which overlooks the Indian Ocean, the water temperature is a bit more
acceptable, since it rarely exceeds 32 to 33 C. [1]

3. WATER RESOURCES
The water resources in the United Arab Emirates divides in two categories conventional
water resources such as seasonal floods, springs, falajes and groundwater and nonconventional resources such as desalinated water and treatedsewage water.
Conventional Water Resources
Seasonal Floods:
The floods in United Arab Emirates commonly happened in the eastern region where it
comes with rain storms which usually be very strong and last for short time. Most of the
rainwater move over the land surface as surface runoff due to the porosity and
permeability igneous and rocks. On the other hand western region is dry with shortage in
surface runoff, this is because of the high evaporation rate and high porosity and
permeability of dune sands.
Springs:
A spring is concentrated groundwater discharge at the ground surface [2]. The springs in
the United Arab Emirates can be used as indicators of discharge area and mostly it tend to
discharge from local and intermediate groundwater-flow systems. There are several
springs such as Khatt (Ras Al Khaimah),Maddab (Al Fujairah) and Bu Sukhanah or Ain
Al Faydah (Al Ain). It can be divided into two types : springs with discharges that are
directly related to rainfall such as Khatt north and Khatt south and springs with discharges
that are indirectly related to rainfall like Siji and Bu Sukhanah.The temperature of water
spring can be reached to (40C)[2]. Based on the chemical analyses all the springs are
not suitable for irrigation except for Siji spring due to Sodium Adsorption Ratio.
Falajes:
Falajes is a traditional tunnel that has been used as an irrigation system[3]. Most of the
falages in the United Arab Emirates are dry due to groundwater pumping. There are
different reasons effect the discharge of falaj: location of the source well(s), nature of the
source aquifer, the amount of seepage from tunnel sides, and the mean annual rainfall[2].
3

The Falajes are categories based on the discharge into three types Al Gheli, Al Daudi and
Al Hadouri. Most of United Arab Emirates falajes are Al Gheli , where the water runs
only in the winter depending mostly on the rainfall. For Al Daudi falajes the main source
of water is the groundwater storage so the discharge are permanent with little change
during the year.The Al Hadouri falajes are related to deep artesian aquifers. Almost all of
the United Arab Emirates falajes are used for irrigation purposes.
There are three main aquifers in the United Arab Emirates include the limestone aquifers
fractured ophiolite rocks, gravel aquifers . Figure 1 shows the location of these aquifers.

Figure 1: Main aquifer in the UAE

[2]

Non-Conventional Water Resources

Desalination Water
Desalinated water consider the most important water sources in the United Arab Emirates.
The desalination processes is divided into two types: distillation processes and membrane
processes. The multi-stage flash distillation and multi-effect distillation are the usually
used in distillation processes. In this processes the saline water is vaporized then it
condense to fresh water while the dissolved substances stays in brine. The desalination
plants are located mostly on the coast or on islands such as Al Burayrat (Ras Al Khaimah)
and As Surrah (Umm Al Quwein).

Treated Wastewater
The treated wastewater in the United Arab Emirates one of the most important alternate of
the fresh water in agriculture and industry. Around 150 million m 3 of treated water is
produced annually in the United Arab Emirates[2] .
There are four sewage treatment plants in the United Arab Emirates located in Abu Dhabi,
Dubai, Al Ain, and Al Sharjah. The treated water is suitable for irrigation because it goes
through three primary, secondary (biological treatment) and tertiary (advanced)
treatments which enhance the quality of the water.
Despite of questions about wither the treated sewage water used in agricultural irrigation
will effects plants, soils and groundwater as well as health hazards the safe treatment will
ensures to remove all the pollutants which make it suitable to use for crop irrigation.

4.

SOIL AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Soil Groups of U.A.E

Soil formation is a result of the complex interaction of climate, parent material, biological
activities and topography; biological processes play a minor part in the Emirate's soil
development due to low organic matter and scarce vegetation. The soils of the Emirate
vary according to chemistry, mineralogy, physics, uses and other factors; generally, the
Emirate's soils are sandy and dominated by minerals such as quartz and carbonates. Along
the coast, however, soils contain high sodium chloride salt concentrations, and tend to be
poorly drained.
The Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi conducted the Soil Survey of Abu Dhabi Emirate
to identify and map the soils of the Emirate and determine their suitability for different
uses to assist with land management planning. Nine soil great groups were recorded
Soil temperature regimes are one of the important properties that control plant growth and
soil formation. In frozen soils there is no biological activity, between 0 and 6 oC, root
growth of most plant species and germination of most seeds are impossible, and horizon
as cold as 5 oC is considered as a thermal pan to the roots of most plants. Hyperthermic is
the soil temperature regime identified in the Emirate soils. This shows that Emirate soils
in general present soil temperature as 22 oC or higher, and the difference between mean
summer and mean winter soil temperature is more than 6 oC either at a depth of 50 cm
from the soil surface or at a densic, lithic or paralithic contact, whichever is shallower.
Soils of the order Entisols are least or non-developed mineral soils with no evidence of
accumulation of specific features (as gypsum, clay, calcium carbonates etc.) as diagnostic
horizons other than an ochricepipedon (light colour surface horizon) in the soil profile.
Three suborders (psamments, orthents and fluvents), and three soil great groups
(torripsamments, torriorthents and torrifluvents) have been recognized in the past studies
(UAEU, 1993; Shahid et al., 2004). Entisols (sandy soils) cover large area of the Emirate
desert environment. Soil texture ranges between sand and sandy-loam. They are light in
colour, low in organic matter contents, weakly developed and very susceptible to wind
erosion. The coarse texture of sandy soils causes a low water holding capacity and high
6

infiltration rate, which represent the main production constraints, however, if

appropriately managed sandy soils can be productive. Psamments are generally poorly
graded sands on shifting or stabilized sand dunes of various heights ranging from nearly
level to two and more than 50 metres height. that the diagnostic horizon from other orders
does not occur. They occur as narrow and broader, level to nearly level ridges along the
coastline. They are recognized as rich in calcareous material dominated by sea-shells, and
are strongly saline due to nearby sea effects.
Torripsamments are the most dominant and widespread soil great group, comprising
eighty-one per cent of the Emirate. These soils occur as extensive dune systems and sand
sheets and tend to have low water holding and run-off capacity, high infiltration, and low
fertility.
The Emirate's desert soils are highly prone to wind erosion and degradation due to the
region's climate, increased salinisation, waterlogging, human land use practices, and
overgrazing. Soil degradation reduces the capacity of the soil to produce goods or
services, impacting food security and the quality of the environment.
Natural Resources
The UAEs primary natural resources are petroleum and natural gas. More than 90
percent of these resources are found in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. In addition to
petroleum, the UAE extracts rock and sand, mostly for use in construction. Limestone,
sand, marl, and gypsum are used to make cement, and there is small-scale mining of
chromite in Fujairah.
UAE is the eighth largest producer of crude oil in the world accounting for 3.3% of the
total crude oil production. As of 2010, UAE has 97.8 billion barrels of proved crude oil
reserves.
The country is the seventh largest producer of natural gas accounting for 1.6% of the
worlds total natural gas supply. As of 2010, UAE has 6.0 trillion m 3 of proved natural gas
reserves, which is equivalent to 3.2% of the total gas reserves in the world.

UAE is one of the top suppliers of aluminum foundry alloy, high-purity aluminum, and
extrusion billet to more than 45 countries. It accounts for 3.4% of the worlds aluminum
smelter production.
Natural freshwater is extremely limited and has been critically overexploited. Underwater
aquifers fell by 10 metres between 1977 and 1984, resulting in increased salinity levels
and the intrusion of seawater into groundwater. The country gets most of its water from
desalination plants (thus seawater may be counted as a natural resource). Increasing
amounts of solar energy is also being generated, in the new, environmentally friendly city
of Masdar in Abu Dhabi.

5. NATIVE PLANTS AND ANIMALS

Animal :
The Arabian Oryx Became extinct as a wild species in the early 1960s. Its precise
natural range within the UAE is not clear but they were probably found in and around the
Liwa, as well as on the mountain plains. Oryx are creatures of the open desert being able
survive in areas without trees or standing water. Instead they rely on moisture obtained
from food and can conserve water through specially adapted kidneys.
Sand gazelle virtually extinct in the wild, there are occasional reports from the Liwa of
small groups of these beautiful creatures. The animals are very light in color, the head
completely white in older animals, with back and flanks being light beige, an obvious
advantage in the open sands, which they favor.
The Arabian mountain gazelle is found on the gravel plains, the sand deserts and in the
mountains, its natural range extending right across the Emirates, except for the very soft
sandy areas of the Liwa. They rest during the hottest hours of the day under any shelter
available, which may be a cave for those that inhabit the mountains. Usually moving in
small groups of four to six animals, they are highly territorial, with the dominant male.
Arabian Tahr they need to drink water every day. An agile climber, this animal is found
only in the mountains, where it dwells on steep cliffs, feeding on sparse grass and shrubs
growing amongst the rocks. Tahr descend regularly into the wadis to find a pool from
which to drink.
The Plant:
The Date Palm they flourished in irrigated oasis such as Al-Ain and Abu Dhabi, but are
also found in wadi valleys, on fertile plains watered by run-off from the mountains, and in
desert gardens. Here dates palm roots reach down to the water gathered just beneath the
surface of the absorbent sand, dates took a dominant role in the life of the Emirates and
cultivation of the date palm has always been by far the most important form of agriculture
9

in the area. The plant are produced and grown to a stable stage in nurseries before they
are sold to farmers.
Ghaf Tree Is widely regarded as the national tree of the UA, master at surviving searing
winds and sun. Ghaf seeds are initially planted and nurtured in a nursery for two years ,
until they grow into seedling . The young tree are then ready to be where natural shade
and greenery are needed. The wadis in the whole mountain range are extremely
interesting botanically. Permanent pools and dripping aquifers provide habitats for fragile
ferns like Adiantum capillus-veneris which occurs in close conjunction with the only
UAE orchid. These moist places also harbour Lippia nodiflora, Centaurium pulchella,
Bacopa monnieri and Sida urens. Impressive stands of Phragmites australis, Imperata
cylindrica and Typha domingensis, with colour added by the wild oleander Nerium
mascatense make you forget you are in a desert country.

10

6. HERITAGE AND CULTURE

When performing EIA and preparing the EIA report it is important to
consider the population living in the area surrounding the proposed
project and to consider how the residents may be affected by the
project. It is important to be aware of the negative side effects of the
project and to make sure not to negatively affect the people living in
the area as much as possible. Therefore it is important to be informed
about the culture and society of the UAE. The UAE is an area with a rich
heritage. Historically it has been home to Arab tribes for centuries. The
United Arab Emirates as a country was formed on December 2, 1971
with the union of seven Arab Emirates; the movement for this union
was led by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (1918-2004)
and the late Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum (1912-1990). Before oil was
discovered in the area, the UAE was a tough desert area. Many
traditions performed in UAE have been handed down for generations
and many of them are related to the desert, sea, and surrounding
environment. For example, using eagles for hunting is an important
tradition still alive today; as are fishing and pearl diving. Furthermore,
the date palm plays an important role in the culture and heritage of the
Emirates. In addition to proving an important food (dates), the leaves
of the date pals are used to weave baskets. The bark of date palm has
traditionally been used in the ceilings of houses. In order to cope with
the rough desert conditions, houses were made of mud and clay. Wind
towers were built Across the UAE, many heritage villages can be found
to remind visitors and residents of this rich heritage and keep the
cultural traditions alive.

11

The discovery and production of oil in the 1960s has helped the UAE
progress much. Though the UAE has surged forward in modernity, with
its skyscrapers, modern buildings, and contemporary businesses, the
people are still very much in touch with their heritage and have the
same cultural traditions. The UAE is home to many different
nationalities and, as a society, is a testament to peaceful coexistence
and tolerance. The demographics show that Emiratis and expats live
side by side in this diverse community consisting of Emiratis, Arabs,
Asians, Europeans, Americans, and other nationalities. Furthermore,
many different religions are practiced in the UAE; with most of the
population practicing Islam, and some minority groups practicing
Christianity and Hinduism among other religions. Many mosques,
churches, and other places of worship can be seen in the UAE. Arabic is
the official language of the country and spoken by much of the
population. Other languages spoken in UAE include English, Hindi,
Urdu, Tagalog, and others.
People of many different backgrounds and cultures intermix and work
side by side in the UAE. The population of UAE is among the most
diverse in the world. The UAE society has learned to be welcoming and
tolerant of other nationalities. Though communication may be difficult
sometimes and language barriers may come up, it is a very interesting
experience to live in a society with so many different nationalities. For
any project, considering the social effects and the effect I people is an
important part of EIA. It is important to keep in mind that in UAE, the
population is very diverse which means its people have many different
cultures and expectations. Generally, residents of all nationalities
respect and adhere to Emirati traditions. For example, modest dress is
observed in public by Muslim and non Muslim people. Furthermore,
many official holidays are Islamic holidays, such as Eid and Israa w
Miraaj, and are observed by all residents. Furthermore, residents
adhere to Emirati manners and social norms.

12

5. Conclusions
6.

13

References
[1] Climate at UAE Available at :
https://sites.google.com/site/exploringtheuae/presentation/climate
(Accessed: 9 September 2015).
[2] Water Resources Perspectives: Evaluation, Management and Policy,
W.W. Wood, A.S. Alsharhan (Accessed: 10 September 2015).
[3]

Falajes,

Available

at

https://prezi.com/efbfq2qfbskb/falajes/

(Accessed: 10 September 2015).

[4] The World Factbook Available at:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/ae.html (Accessed: 8 September 2015).
[5]

2010

Minerals

Yearbook

UAE

Available

at

http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/2010/myb3-2010ae.pdf (Accessed: 8 September 2015).Environmental Atlas of Abu Dhabi

[6]

Environmental

Atlas

of

Abu

Dhabi

Available

at

https://www.environmentalatlas.ae/cartography/geographicInheritance/
soilsSoilGreatGroupsOfAbuDhabi (Accessed: 8 September 2015).
[7] Terrestrial Environment of Abu Dhabi Emirate Available at :
http://www.ead.ae/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Terrestrial-env.-of-ADEmirate-Eng.pdf (Accessed: 8 September 2015).

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