Water is a necessity, without it we cannot survive.
Following this week's revelations that the Australian government has introduced water restrictions including fines for people who consume too much H2O, Gulf News took to the streets of the city to find out what people think about water consumption in Dubai.
Sydney is currently experiencing one of the worst droughts in history and has banned people from using hosepipes among other things.
However, here in the UAE, gallons and gallons of water are used to water the endless rows of flower borders, trees, acres of grass as well as to power the numerous water fountains across the region.
We asked people what they thought about the water consumption in the UAE.
Max Tiangsing, a Filipino who has lived in Dubai for four years, said: "I think we should definitely think about preserving water here in the UAE.
"There must be an environmental impact if we keep consuming water at this incredible rate."
Bita, aged 28, has lived in Dubai for nine months and is originally from Iran. She said: "I think water is a necessity. It brings money to the country in so many ways.
"The government may pay thousands and thousands of dirhams for the water but it will bring that money back to the country threefold by way of cash from tourists.
"Dubai is trying to increase the number of tourists and visitors all the time so it has to make sure the place looks appealing to them.
"The greenery and water fountains make the country so very appealing and if it keeps people coming here then paying to water them can only be a good thing.
"In countries where the water provided by the muncipality is mainly meant for drinking, it makes sense to focus much more on conservation. But in Dubai, desalinated water is not the primary source of drinking water so why not use it for alternative purposes."
Stephanie Wadding, originally from Ireland, has lived in Dubai for 15 years. She said: "I live in an apartment so I don't have a garden.
"But generally I think the water consumption here in the UAE is excessive.
"I think the amount of water we use is reflected in the price of the DEWA [Electricity and water] bill.
"Since I have lived here the price of water has risen each year and not with just small increases. Now I think water is extremely expensive and it hits people hard.
"Maybe if people didn't use as much water the price of the commodity would fall.
"There is an awful lot of water wastage here. I don't think we will ever run out of water but that doesn't mean we should over indulge."
Originally from India, Abraham Matthew, 41, has lived in Dubai with his wife and one child, for nine months.
He said: "I think water consumption is OK in the UAE. I really don't believe there is a problem. We live in a hot country and people have to accept that without water we simply wouldn't survive.
"We need to shower and wash our clothes. My DEWA bill is Dh450 per month which I don't think is particularly excessive."
Elahe Pasandideh, 31, has lived in Dubai for seven years and is from Iran.
She said: "I believe the levels of consumption are really OK. We don't use too much water. Living in such a hot country we have to accept that we need to sometimes be excessive with the use of water."
Pam Huggins lives in Ruwais in Abu Dhabi and was visiting Dubai with her husband.
The 52-year-old, originally from London, said: "I believe the correct procedures have been put in place to cope with the massive water consumption in the UAE.
"The desalination plants have been built to take the water from the sea and turn it into fresh water so we should always be OK.
"Because all aspects seem to have been thought about, I believe there should not be any knock-on effects for the environment."
Christie Cullip, 23, lives with her husband in Dubai. Originally from Cambridge, England, she said: "To be honest, the amount of water I use is not really something I ever think about. When I lived in England I was more aware of the need to conserve water so I did my best to make sure I helped.
"But over here, I am less aware of the environmental issues so, if I'm honest, I haven't really considered it until now. I also feel nobody talks about it over here so I'm really not sure what the situation is."
Suresh Devnani has lived in Dubai for 15 years with his wife and two girls. The 40-year-old said: "To be honest, the only thing that crosses my mind when it comes to water is the bill from DEWA each month.
"The desalination plants mean they have access to as much water as they need and people seem to consume as much as possible. I think they should start thinking about using other resources like solar power to create energy.
"The sunshine is something they have a lot of here so it makes sense to use it. I have two adults and two children living in my household and our DEWA bill is around Dh120 each month.
"This is because we are careful how much water we use and work to conserve its use wherever possible.
"It's also about education."
Gulf News
