Forecasting of freshwater demand in Kuwait

One of the major tasks of a government is to ensure a reliable supply of fr esh water to the population for sustainable living and growth in living sta ndard. This is all the more important in an and country like Kuwait, where usable water is in short supply. The decision to expand the existing capaci ty of fresh water production is determined by the projected future demand. A good understanding of the factors influencing demand and reliable estimat es of the parameters describing demand behavior and consumption patterns ar e prerequisites. An analysis of historical data on water consumption and ot her relevant parameters has been carried out and an econometric model of fr eshwater consumption in Kuwait has been developed in this context. Based on various assumptions on the growth of population, per capita consumption, e conomic growth, and immigration policy, projections of freshwater demand ti ll the year 2025 have been made with the help of this model. For the year 2 025, this figure varies in the range of 1027 to 3036 Mm(3)/year. The govern ment tariff and immigration policies are expected to have major influence o n the future demand growth.