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Dubai’s costly water world
The city that will host the United Nations global climate summit is under pressure over the environmental costs of its opulence.
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The Dubai Mall Waterfall. To maintain its opulence, Dubai relies on fresh water it doesn’t have.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
Arielle Paul
For a desert city, Dubai appears like a water wonderland. Visitors can scuba dive in the world’s deepest pool or ski inside a mega-mall where penguins play in freshly made snow. A fountain – billed as the world’s largest – sprays more than 83,000 litres of water into the air, synchronised to music from surrounding speakers.
But to maintain its opulence, the city relies on fresh water it doesn’t have. So, it turns to the sea, using energy-intensive desalination technologies to help hydrate a rapidly growing metropolis.
