A senior official in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) urged the nation to conserve water by slashing its use for agricultural purpose. UAE, having huge oil reserves in its soil, ranks among one of the top per capita consumers of water in the world.

An official from the emirate's Environment Agency claimed that per person water requirement has been increasing with time. Compared to the world average of 180-200 liters, Abu Dhabi consumes 550 liters of water per person. The country, having very limited geographical area, has to face hot and dry climate which automatically increases its water needs.

Abu Dhabi's Environment Agency cautioned against declining fresh water resources in the country. It said that water resources will completely vanish in the coming 50 years making the country to depend on groundwater and desalination plants.

Speaking at the Federal National Council, an advisory body with limited parliamentary powers, Mohammed Khalfan al-Rumaithi, director general of the UAE's National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority, added, "Wars can erupt because of water. Using groundwater for agriculture is risky. If it doesn't harm us it will harm other generations."