This special edition of the Al-Attiyah Foundation Podcast invites three special guests to look into the challenges faced by freshwater supplies on the planet, and a possible solution. Though freshwater supplies could support the world’s population needs, their uneven distribution has pushed several regions to adopt alternative water resources, which are less environmentally friendly. For GCC countries, most municipal water comes from energy-intensive seawater desalination, with the GCC home to 20 of the world’s largest desalination plants.

The reuse of treated wastewater provides a more sustainable approach, requiring about nine times less energy and produces biosolids, a solid, organic, nutrient-rich by-product of wastewater. Biosolids can enhance the soil characteristics of countries with low fertility. The major hurdle to the implementation of treated water, however, resides in public perception. 

All three speakers in this podcast join us from The Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar and have played an integral role in investigating the public’s perception over treated industrial wastewater and biosolids generated from Qatar’s oil and gas industry.