Is Managed Aquifer Recharge a Feasible Solution for Groundwater Deterioration in Qatar?

Even though managed aquifer recharge (MAR) helped effectively in increasing aquifer storage and improving groundwater quality in many arid regions worldwide, its feasibility remains an open question in Qatar. Qatar is a hyper-arid country with minimal natural water resources, high per-capita water consumption, and over-exploited aquifers - the only water source for agriculture. During the last two decades, the country had a significant increase in population and urbanization, which posed extra stress to the aquifers. This paper discusses MAR feasibility and highlights possible factors for aquifer management and sustainability in Qatar. Outcomes showed that, among MAR methods, the aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) could help augment Qatar aquifers if technical and socioeconomic aspects were guaranteed. Considering 2016 as an example, injecting the unutilized treated sewage effluent (TSE; estimated by ~500 million m³in 2017) in aquifers can strike a balance in Qatar's water system if a recovery rate of 30% was achieved in the ASR wells. Under future projections of population and consumption increase, abstraction from aquifers will rise significantly through the 21st century, which requires looking for alternative water resources. The analysis also revealed unclear measurements for aquifers abstraction. Using smart water meters to measure abstraction quantities is, therefore, a dire need.