Fatimah Hadi Salman Alhashem

Water Sustainability Specialization · Cohort 2026

Climate-Resilient Urban Water Systems in Arid Environments: A Policy Roadmap for Water Security

Water scarcity in arid regions is increasingly intensified by climate change, population growth, and pressure on limited freshwater resources. This study assesses the climate resilience of urban water systems, focusing on desalination, groundwater, wastewater reuse, and rainwater harvesting. Google Earth Engine (GEE) was used to process and visualize climate and remote-sensing datasets, including NASA GRACE MASCON, TerraClimate, and ERA5-Land, to assess changes in terrestrial water storage, evapotranspiration, and surface runoff across the Gulf region. The performance of each water source was then evaluated under baseline, projected 2050, and climate-resilient scenarios using a Climate Resilience Indicator (CRI). Under 2050 climate conditions, CRI values were 0.69, 0.82, 1.35, and 1.21 for desalination, groundwater, wastewater reuse, and rainwater harvesting, respectively, improving to 0.75, 0.87, 2.85, and 1.46 following resilience measures. The findings highlight the importance of integrated adaptation, water-source diversification, and resilient infrastructure for strengthening long-term water security in arid environments.

Read the final report (PDF)