Kathmandu. In the midst of the ongoing war between Iran and the US-Israel, a new threat is emerging. After oil and gas, water could become the biggest crisis in the conflict.
The populations of many Gulf countries depend on desalination plants for drinking water, and these plants are now vulnerable to missile or drone attacks. Meanwhile, Bahrain has claimed that Iran has attacked a similar desalination plant.
There are hundreds of desalination plants on the Persian Gulf Coast. These plants extract salt from seawater to create drinking water. Damage to these plants could lead to severe water shortages in many major Gulf cities.
A large part of the water needs of the Gulf countries are met through this desalination technology. In Kuwait, about 90 percent of its drinking water comes from desalination. In Oman, this number is about 86 percent. In Saudi Arabia, about 70 percent of drinking water is produced through desalination. This technique is called reverse osmosis.
Actual threat to Gulf countries
For those outside the Middle East, the biggest concern of this war is the impact on oil prices. That’s because the Gulf region exports about a third of the world’s crude oil. However, according to an Associated Press report, experts believe the real threat to Gulf countries could be water infrastructure.
The war, which began on February 28 when the US and Israel invaded Iran, has already hit several critical infrastructure. On March 2, Iranian attacks targeted Dubai’s Jebel Ali port. The attack took place about 12 miles from one of the world’s largest desalination plants that supplies drinking water to Dubai.
Attacks on water plants in the UAE and Qatar
Damage was also reported near the Fujairah F-1 Power and Water Complex in the United Arab Emirates and the Doha West desalination plant in Kuwait. However, experts say there is no conclusive evidence that Iran deliberately targeted water plants.
Many desalination plants are connected to power plants. This means that if the power infrastructure is attacked, the desalination process can also be disrupted. Experts believe that if water plants are deliberately targeted, it could force Gulf countries to engage in war.
If attacked, the entire water system would be shut down
According to the news, water industry expert Ed Cullinane says, “The desalination system depends on many components, such as the intake system, treatment facility and power supply. Damage to any of these components can disrupt the entire system. ’
An old US diplomatic document also warned that the capital Riyadh could have to be evacuated within a week if Saudi Arabia’s Jubail desalination plant or its pipeline were seriously damaged. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have made huge investments in pipelines, reservoirs and backup systems, while smaller countries like Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait have limited alternative resources.
Iran, on the other hand, is not very dependent on desalination itself. Most of its water comes from rivers, dams, and groundwater. However, a prolonged drought has also caused Tehran’s reservoirs to drop dangerously. Iran’s President Massoud Pezeskian has threatened to evacuate the capital Tehran if the situation does not improve. –Agency
