Case 1: Constructed Wetlands for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment

Case owner: Oman Water and Wastewater Service Company (OWWSC)

Oman Water and Wastewater Service Company (OWWSC) is looking for ways to achieve Sustainable wastewater treatment, with the use of ‘Constructed wetlands’ that mimics, and improves the effectiveness, of the natural purification processes in wetlands. The system uses water, aquatic plants (i.e.: reeds, duckweed), naturally occurring microorganisms and a filter bed (usually of sand, soils and/or gravel). This study aims to find best practices in worldwide applied Constructed wetlands, and design it to receive domestic wastewater. Keeping in mind that the system should have very high performance and meeting Omani Standard of Treated Effluent Discharge as mentioned in MD 145/93.

Case 2: Growing Plants in the Desert

Case owner: Petroleum Development Oman (PDO)

The ‘Ashjar Initiative’ was launched to combat desertification, reduce land degradation, and preserve wild plants. Within the framework of cooperation between the Environment Agency and the private sector represented by the Petroleum Development Oman, the national aim is to plant 10 million trees. The challenge is to sustain the growth of those plants under desert conditions, with hot weather, low rainfall and sandy soils that are poor in holding moisture content. Options might be the use of Atmospheric water harvesting, Water boxes or Smart Soil, and/or integration of these options.

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Case 3: Dealing with salinization

Case owner: Hoogheemraadschap van Delfland

Salinization is a familiar threat in the area of water authority ‘Hoogheemraadschap van Delfland’ in the Netherlands. The most serious causes of salinization, which can occur on a large scale, are penetrating seawater along the coast and brackish groundwater rising (salt seepage). At the moment this salinization is mainly combated by flushing all water systems. An expensive and complex system but as long as there is enough water it works. But is there enough water? Due to drier summers, and increasing salt seepage pressure due to the rising sea level, Delfland has to find other strategies. How can The Water Authority Delfland adapt to or even utilize encroaching salinization?

Case 4: Water Footprint Compensation useful in Oman?

Case owner: Water Footprint Implementation (WFI) 

Global water resources are under pressure, also in the semi-arid to arid areas in Oman. The country receives very little rain and has high temperatures, this makes it a water scarce country. As water supply is limited, expensive water desalinization is often used to act as an additional source of freshwater. Oman intends to expand its agricultural export and create new industries, but faces problems with limiting water resources and challenges due to climate change. To respond to this need, the Water Footprint Implementation concept intends to link water consumption for production to water compensation activities. How can Oman make use of the Water Footprint Compensation (WFC) concept?

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