This document provides a user guide for the Abu Dhabi Water Budget Model (ADWBM). ADWBM is an easy-to-use model that has been developed using Microsoft Excel and not front end programming, such as visual basic. The Excel-based model was selected to ensure transparency by allowing users to observe/change input data under different scenarios. ADWBM is developed based on system dynamics methodology and comprises four supply sources (groundwater, desalination, treated wastewater and surface water), seven demand sectors (agriculture, forestry, amenities, residential, municipal, commercial and industrial), and three transfer components held as separate worksheets. Several additional worksheets are included to facilitate data entry, data review, and outputs retention for later comparison. ADWBM allows interactions and feedbacks between different water budget components.
Details of all model modules along with list of all assumptions used are also included in this document. A conceptual water budget model was first designed and used to develop a static water budget in Abu Dhabi by achieving mass balance among demand sectors, resources and main transfer components for the period from 2008 to 2014. The static model is then expanded into a dynamic water budget model. The model has been calibrated against the best available data. Then, it was used to evaluate the impact of conservation policies on water demand and water vailability in Abu Dhabi Emirate. The model can be used to examine the effects of various interventions on the seven water demand sectors and to estimate the supply-demand imbalances over time. This manual also includes step-by-step guide on how to use the model. The model can be easily used by any individual with basic background of water resources. The ADWBM model can be updated consequently upon receiving more consistent and reliable datasets from different stakeholders.
Apart from the model ability to present different water budget scenarios, ADWBM can also handle options for allocating water to different demand sectors. Additionally, the model can accommodate future population growth in Abu Dhabi Emirate into new water budget scenarios. ADWBM can be used as a robust tool to assist developing efficient management and conservation future plans of water resources in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. It could allow regulators to carry out independent assessments of the water budget until the year 2050 with the available water resources and growing water demands. This tool will also allow water policy makers to identify sustainable future scenarios.
The key features of ADWBM are:
1. Establish an accurate understanding of the current water supply and demand in Abu Dhabi Emirate.
2. Project water demand until 2050 through different built-in scenarios.
3. Ensure scenarios reflect future likely policies and conservation plans reported in AD 2030 vision.
4. Recommend the most feasible and future practical water plans through user-defined scenarios.
5. Identify interventions that could lead to most effective demand reductions.
6. Allocate available water resources to different demand sectors.