Playing with fire, this time over water: Desalination, the lifeline of Gulf, could be Iran war targets if better sense does not prevail

An attack on a desalination plant in Iran, and the US President Donald Trump's threats and Iranian counterthreats, are increasing the risk that water-purifying facilities could be sitting ducks in the ongoing war. For nearly a century, desalination plants, which make the salty water in the region drinkable, have been the lifeline of the Gulf region. Any attack on them would render millions of people without water. Several desalination plants are operated by European and Asian companies, once again giving a global dimension to the Iran-US-Israel war. Here is what you should know about the consequences of a water war:

Desalination is a lifeline for millions of people across the Gulf region

In a region where natural freshwater is virtually non-existent due to an arid climate, minimal rainfall and depleted aquifers, desalination is the lifeline of the Gulf region.

In the UAE, nearly 42 per cent of drinking water comes through desalination plants , and up to 90 per cent in some emirates. The percentage is around 70 per cent in Saudi Arabia. For Qatar, it is 99 per cent of municipal and drinking water. For Kuwait, it is 90 per cent and for Oman, 86 per cent.

Desalination plants also support industry and agriculture

The GCC member countries produce nearly 40 per cent of the world’s desalinated water.

Without desalination plants, major cities like Dubai, Riyadh, Doha, Kuwait City, Muscat and Basra wouldn't be able to sustain current populations.

The daily per capita demand of up to 500 litres of water relies on desalinated seawater.

Amid population booms and climate change, dependence on desalination has increased for industry, agriculture and for holy sites like Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Sitting ducks: Attacks on desalination plants can lead to a humanitarian catastrophe

Most desalination plants in the region are highly visible and large, located along coasts.

Many are located directly across the Gulf from Iran, within easy range of its missiles and drones.

In spite of their importance, which everyone knows, careless threats are being made against desalination plants by both sides in the Iran war.

A disruption would cause an immediate humanitarian catastrophe, including dehydration and halted services.

The long-term consequences could include economic collapse and potential mass displacement.

More than 90 per cent of Gulf desalinated water comes from just 56 large plants. A single-point failure could cut supply to millions within days.

Desalination plant attacks are not new, but are rising

Already, several Iranian and Gulf desalination plants have faced direct or indirect strikes. Iran has accused the US of hitting a Qeshm Island plant along the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting water supplies for 30 villages.

Bahrain reported an Iranian drone damaging one of its plants, while at least one person died in a similar attack in Kuwait.

Damage was reported at the UAE’s Fujairah F1 and Kuwait’s Doha West from missiles, drones or debris. Iran has explicitly threatened “irreversible destruction” of Gulf water infrastructure in retaliation for any further strikes on its energy or water systems by adversaries.

This is not the first time. In the 1991 Gulf War, Iraq damaged Kuwait’s desalination plants. Houthi rebels of Yemen have targeted desalination plants of adversaries in the recent past.

The global angle: Dozens of desalination plants are maanged or operated by foreign firms

While up to 80 to 90 per cent of overall Gulf desalination infrastructure is state-owned or operated, dozens of desalination plants in the region have foreign co-ownership or are operated by foreign firms.

Leading players include ENGIE from France, which operates 13 plants across the region with 5.8 million m³/day total output.

Spain's Acciona/GS Inima operates and manages multiple plants in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Veolia from France, Mitsubishi and JERA from Japan, and PowerChina are also among the companies operating in the region.