A technical-economic model for integrated water resources management in tourism dependent arid coastal regions
The case of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
On October 13, 2009, Ms. Aya Lamei from Egypt successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled 'A technical-economic model for integrated water resources management in tourism dependent arid coastal regions – the case of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt'. Ms. Lamei was awarded her Doctoral degree, Professor Pieter van der Zaag was her promoter.
The scope of the research was to develop an integrated technical-economic modelling tool to enhance integrated water resources management and to assist decision makers in the design and assessment of integrated water resources management projects for arid coastal regions.
The modelling tool was applied to address water management issuers in Sharm-El-Sheikh, South-Sinai, Egypt, that suffers from water shortage and that is located near a unique but sensitive marine environment of high ecological value. The main economic activity is tourism.
The modelling tool is composed of five types of models depending on the specific site situations: water demand model, water supply model, waste water reuse model, environmental model and economic model.
The coupling of the models facilitates assessing different scenarios fro integrated water resources management including different time-variant domestic and irrigation water demand, water supply options (long-distance piping of Nile water versus reverse osmosis (RO) desalination of sea water), potable and non-potable water supply contracts between hotels and water companies, optimum capacity and expansion for RO desalination plants, renewable and non-renewable energy sources for RO desalination , and finally brine disposal options.
The uniqueness of the thesis lies in the integrated and holistic approach adopted to the particular water resources challenge found in tourism dependent arid coastal regions.
The thesis addresses the most important water resources challenges within one coherent framework: water demand trends, alternative water supply options, the cost of energy of desalination, the contractual relationship that exists between desalination plants and clients, and the dynamism of this relationship in an expanding economy, the incorporation and integration, if not mainstreaming, of wastewater reuse in water resources management, and finally, the safe and sustainable disposal of the brine waste.