Evaluating Future Alternatives for a Sustainable Water Management System in the Kingdom of Bahrain

The Kingdom of Bahrain, situated in an arid region, faces extreme water scarcity, which is expected to be exacerbated by climate change. The water management system in the Kingdom is modeled using the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) dynamic model to assess its sustainability in terms of financial, economic, and environmental costs. The associated costs of the current management system were estimated under climate change impacts for 2022-2035, while the effectiveness of various management interventions in reducing these costs was evaluated both individually and in combination for the same period. The findings reveal that implementing these interventions has the potential to reduce municipal water demand by 30% by 2035, resulting in cumulative financial savings of approximately $1.25 billion. This reduction would also yield significant environmental benefits, including a cumulative reduction of 12,615 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and 2,383 million cubic meters of desalination brine discharge to the marine environment. Additionally, enhancing treated wastewater utilization through strategies such as afforestation and managed aquifer recharge could further mitigate environmental impacts and support Bahrain’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. These results provide critical insights for policymakers to enhance the sustainability of Bahrain’s water management system, ensuring continued socio-economic development while reducing environmental impacts. Future modeling should address uncertainties related to population growth and spatial demographics using stochastic approaches. Furthermore, addressing data gaps on agricultural water consumption and cropping patterns is essential for simulating the agricultural sector and supporting effective decision-making.