Question:
Discuss about the Energy and Water Sustainability System.
Sustainability has become an important factor in this age where the climate change is threatening the environment. Governments and businesses must be sustaining social and environmental resources. Many countries and businesses have embraced corporate sustainability to provide solutions and add value to their operations. Norton Rose Fulbright (2012) affirmed that the largest natural resource is water. The demand for water has increased following the high global freshwater consumption. This has made the resource to deplete because the largest aquifers are running out. The problem is likely to deteriorate with the growing demand. The current climate change is a threat to the environment and ecosystem thus protecting the water resources is vital. Similarly, the climate change is compelling countries to review their energy resources and regulations to reduce emissions (McCullough 2014). Many countries, including Australia, have established new regulations to achieve energy and water sustainability. This has made it critical to compare and contrast how Australia and Saudi Arabia have addressed the energy and water sustainability.
The Australian government has responded to the climate change by investing in energy and water sustainability. Through the environmental sustainability policy, the government has intended to minimize the impact of its operations and activities on the environment. Energy sustainability in Australia has taken the center stage. The government recently established the renewable energy target scheme. Through this scheme, the government had set a new target of 33,000 GWh by 2020 thus increasing the renewable energy (Commonwealth of Australia 2016). Apart from the scheme, the government has also established Australian renewable energy agency thus make the energy solutions affordable. This regulation needs to increase the supply of this new form of energy. Through the agency, the government has invested over $2.5 billion to support new projects and initiatives to commercialize renewable energy solutions. The agency needs to diversify the country’s energy mix.
The Australian government also established an energy efficiency program through the council of Australia governments (Commonwealth of Australia 2016). This involved the development of the national strategy on energy efficiency. The program has helped the government to accelerate energy efficiency initiatives and support businesses and households in transiting to the renewable energy. The energy efficiency program also introduced a mandatory energy rating level and identified the appliances that need to be displayed on the energy rating levels like freezers, televisions, refrigerators, clothes washers, air conditioners, computer monitors, and clothes dryers. The program has also helped the country to install the energy efficient lights.Saudi Arabia government has made significant efforts to protect the environment and natural resources thus guarantee the quality of life. It has initiated various policies and regulations to achieve sustainability principles. For instance, it established the Ministry of Water and Electricity to manage and sustain water resources and generate power. The Saudi government has also established the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) that gives a decree for environment sustainability policies (McCullough 2014). Recently, the PME gave a decree to companies and business to meet new water, air, and noise pollution requirements. The government has established an environmental plan to protect the natural and health resources. In 2008, the Council of Ministers had approved the new regulations.
Saudi Arabia government has initiated programs that embrace the alternative energy sources. It is investing in renewable energy source including solar because of its vast desert stretch. This program will help the country to realize its sustainable energy mix because it combines nuclear and solar power (Norton Rose Fulbright 2012). To this effect, the government established King Abdullah University of Science and Technology to drive innovation and creativity. The country has also introduced an energy efficiency policy to eliminate waste. The Saudi government has used the UN National Energy Efficiency Program to define its objectives including energy efficiency labels, efficient use of oil, and energy audit services (EIA 2011). The government believes that the plan will allow it reduces its electricity intensity and meet the growing demand (Norton Rose Fulbright 2012). The National Renewable Energy Policy, as developed assure the country of energy efficiency. The ERCA is supposed to encourage private-sector participation in achieving an efficient energy level. Despite these efforts, the projects promoting renewable energy sources remain limited compared to Australia. This is because; the country enjoys substantial hydrocarbons reserves (Norton Rose Fulbright 2012). The Electricity Law is another regulatory framework used in Saudi Arabia following the Royal Decree M/56 in 2005. This law regulates and develops the electricity sector thus restructuring the electricity industry. The ECRA also prepares systems of KPIs relevant to the electricity industry.
Saudi is a desert country and it complete has no permanent lakes and rivers. Unlike Australia, which receives heavy rainfall, Saudi rarely receives rainfall. This has made this resource-limited and valuable (EIA 2011). Given Saudi’s growth rate, the demand for water has increased beyond the expectation. To this effect, the Saudi government has incessantly used aquifers to get water because the underground reservoirs remain abundant. Desalination of its sea remains the main water source. To this effect, the government established “the Saline Water Conversation Corporation” to desalinate through various stations thus producing over 1000 million cubics of water (Al-Zahrani & Baig 2011: 601). The country has also constructed about 260 dams to harvest and collect water for the population.
Sustainability has also taken a toll in the Saudi government agenda. This is because; these resources have proved essential in the development plans (Al-Zahrani & Baig 2011). Through the Water Demand Management programs, the country has taken relevant measures to use fresh water resources efficiently. The government has also established a national ambient water quality standard to help in managing water sustainably. In fact, “the National Ambient Water Quality Standard of 2012” protects the water supply and related natural environment (Almansouri & De Chatel 2017). The government uses the standards to restore water used for industrial, ecological, agricultural, recreational, and portable purposes (Sairafi 2016). The PME had adopted these standards to save the threatened surface freshwater. Additionally, the government also adopted the Wastewater Discharge Standards in 2012 thus guide the companies and stakeholders about discharging water (Chakibi 2013). These guidelines ensure that the quality of water is protected. Therefore, the country is moving towards sustainable resource management.
The Australian government has also invested in sustainable water resources. Through the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, the Australian government has adopted different regulations and laws to achieve sustainable water resource. The Water Services Act of 2012 justified the significance of water (Government of Western Australia 2017). This legislation establishes customer protection systems. The Act supports an effective delivery of water resources. Additionally, the Department of Agriculture has the mandate to ascertain sustainable water supply (Commonwealth of Australia 2016). The Australian government has provided national leaders regarding the water legislation and policy reforms.
In Australia, the clean water crisis has attracted the attention of both government and non-governmental organizations. The private sector is working diligently to address the issues of concern. In fact, several NGOs have allocated their resources towards the issue (Hermes 2012). The World Resources Institute, Water.org, and RECES are among the leading NGOs that have taken responsibility for resolving the water crisis. The businesses, governments, and NGOs have opted for collaboration in tackling the energy and water crisis (Walker 2013). The country uses the water-trading scheme as an innovative approach to saving the water catchments.
Saudi is a desert country and it complete has no permanent lakes and rivers. Unlike Australia, which receives heavy rainfall, Saudi rarely receives rainfall. This has made the resource-limited and valuable (EIA 2011). Given Saudi’s growth rate, the demand for water has increased beyond the expectation. To this effect, the Saudi government has incessantly used aquifers to get water because the underground reservoirs remain abundant. Desalination of its sea remains the main water source. To this effect, the government established “the Saline Water Conversation Corporation” to desalinate through various stations thus producing over 1000 million cubics of water (Al-Zahrani & Baig 2011: 601). The country has also constructed about 260 dams to harvest and collect water for the population.
Sustainability has also taken a toll in the Saudi government agenda. This is because; these resources have proved essential in the development plans (Al-Zahrani & Baig 2011). Through the Water Demand Management programs, the country has taken relevant measures to use fresh water resources efficiently. The government has also established a national ambient water quality standard to help in managing water sustainably. In fact, “the National Ambient Water Quality Standard of 2012” protects the water supply and related natural environment (Almansouri & De Chatel 2017). The government uses the standards to restore water used for industrial, ecological, agricultural, recreational, and portable purposes (Sairafi 2016). The PME had adopted these standards to save the threatened surface freshwater. Additionally, the government also adopted the Wastewater Discharge Standards in 2012 thus guide the companies and stakeholders about discharging water (Chakibi 2013). These guidelines ensure that the quality of water is protected. Therefore, the country is moving towards sustainable resource management.
Both Australian and Saudi governments have taken drastic measures to achieve sustainable water and energy. Indeed, in both cases, everyone has acknowledged the significance of managing the resources. For instance, both countries have already created agencies and ministries responsible for managing the situation and offering policy guidelines. Although in Australia, the intergovernmental initiatives have become essential in resolving the water crisis. The situation is different in Saudi Arabia because the policy initiatives depend on the royal decree (Sairafi n.d). Nonetheless, the outcomes of these engagements and policy initiatives can resolve the crisis. On water management, Saudi Arabia is a desert country compared to Australia. This implies that one country relies on aquifers to get water while Australia has opted to manage these resources. In Australia, the NGOs have taken the frontline in resolving the crisis while the government establishes the regulatory and policy framework.
The energy sustainability has also become a priority for both Australian and Saudi government. However, the Saudi’s main source of energy is fossil fuel and natural gas. On the other hand, the Australian government has opted for renewable energy investment to address the climate change (Commonwealth of Australia 2016). It appears the approaches used by the Australian government are successful. Therefore, Saudi Arabia needs to use the strategies adopted by Australia to address the energy crisis.
Conclusion
Sustainability is an important factor in the modern society, especially following the impact of the climate change. The natural resources are becoming scarce and the governments have responded through different strategies including creating regulatory frameworks. Saudi Arabia and Australia are adopting different approaches to address the water and energy crisis. Based on this paper, it is evident that Australia is taking the lead in addressing its energy crisis by adopting renewable energy programs.
Almansouri, A & De Chatel, F 2017, ‘Saudi Arabia’s great thirst’, Resolve Water, viewed 3 October 2017, >https://www.revolve-water.com/saudi-arabia-water-resources/>
Al-Zahrani, K H & Baig, MB 2011, ‘Water in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: sustainable management options’, Journal of Animal & Plant Sciences, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 601-604, viewed 3 October 2017, <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291289760_Water_in_the_kingdom_of_Saudi_Arabia_Sustainable_management_options>.
Chakibi, S 2013, ‘Saudi Arabia releases 9 new environmental laws’, EHS Journal, viewed 3 October 2017, <https://ehsjournal.org/https:/ehsjournal.org/sanaa-chakibi/saudi-arabia-9-new-environmental-laws/2013/>.
Commonwealth of Australia 2016, ‘Water management policy and legislation’, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, viewed 3 October 2017, <https://www.agriculture.gov.au/water/policy>.
EIA 2011, ‘Country analysis briefs – Saudi Arabia’, Eia.gov. viewed 3 October 2017, <https://www.eia.gov/countries/country-data.cfm?fips=SA>.
Government of Western Australia 2017, Current legislation, viewed 3 October 2017, <https://www.water.wa.gov.au/legislation/current-legislation>.
Hermes, J 2012, ‘Water sustainability: what governments, industry, and NGOs can accomplish together’, Environmental Leader, March, viewed 3 October 2017, <https://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/03/water-sustainability-what-governments-industry-and-ngos-can-accomplish-together/>.
McCullough, DG 2014, ‘Saudi Arabia’s green decree brings hopes of sustainability’, The Guardian, May 12, viewed 3 October 2017, <https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/saudi-arabia-green-construction-oil-sustainability-environment>.
Norton Rose Fulbright 2012, ‘Renewable energy in Saudi Arabia’, Norton Rose Fulbright, viewed 3 October 2017, <https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/knowledge/publications/61454/renewable-energy-in-saudi-arabia>.
Sairafi, A n.d, Saudi Arabia: Moving towards sustainable use of water resources, viewed 3 October 2017, <https://www.jccp.or.jp/international/conference/docs/2-1PME.pdf>.
Walker, G 2013, ‘Organizations find new ways to address water, energy and food pressures’, The Guardian, viewed 3 October 2017, <https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/organisations-address-water-energy-food-pressures>.
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