Liwa: The Mutation of an Agricultural Oasis into a Strategic Reserve Dedicated to a Secure Water Supply for Abu Dhabi

Abstract

The population of the Arabic shore of the Arabian Gulf now lives in a new urban world based on oil and post-oil production and Western models. Such is the case of Abu Dhabi, a new metropolis that now forms part of the globalised world. The spectacular growth of this capital has profoundly upset the world of the oasis. The oasis of Liwa, which formerly constituted the political and economic heart of the region, is now relegated to a peripheral role subservient to the urbanisation of the coast. This reversal of the space represents a break in the perception, the practices and the functions devolved to oasis spaces. It raises the question of the evolution of the relationships between the city and the oasis. The authorities of the United Arab Emirates have tried in vain for several decades to develop farming in the desert to provide food for the country. For Liwa, as for many oases of the Arabian Peninsula, this agricultural development policy has brought about a depletion of water resources due to the overexploitation of groundwater. In spite of the development of seawater desalination, the country faces a reduced availability of water due to the explosion in demand. Priority is no longer given to agriculture but to increasing the security of the urban supply, particularly by creating strategic reserves of water to reduce the vulnerability of the country. This is why the oasis of Liwa has been transformed into a strategic space, containing an underground artificial reservoir.