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Bahrain was renowned for its rich springs and greenery. However, over-exploitation of
groundwater at a level far beyond the estimated 110 Mm3/y of sustainable yield has resulted
in the cessation of flows from these springs and the loss of an environmentally and culturally
significant resource to Bahrain. It has also resulted in the salinization of the water in the
aquifer through seawater intrusion and up-coning of more saline groundwater from aquifers Abu Dhabi, UAE
lower in the geologic sequence.

Source: Water Resources and Water Use in Dammam Aquifer Abstraction History in Bahrain

Bahrain, 2002

The economic value of this restoration of surface springs fed by the Dammam aquifer should be
evaluated as its tourism and cultural value could outweigh the relatively insignificant agricultural

value of the use of this water. This over-exploitation supports the inefficient irrigation of primarily
low-value crops. The management of groundwater extraction to recuperate the aquifer and to
maintain future extractions within sustainable levels could restore the flows to the springs with
significant value to the country in terms of the environment, culture, and tourism. Furthermore,
this relatively renewable groundwater resource could represent a significant strategic reserve of
freshwater to support the developed commercial/industrial economy of the country in the event
of interruption of the present and future desalination systems due to pollution of the feed supply
and technical glitches (or political reasons). The value of the resource for this purpose alone is
possibly far more significant than its present over-exploitation to support low-value agriculture

(Zubari, 2008)

IEA Training Manual Workshop for the National Reporting Toolkit (NRT) 67