Qatar, the world's richest nation, has experienced significant population growth over the last decade. From about 2 million people in 2011, its population currently sits at about 2.7 million. On top of that, around half a million tourists visit each year. But how fun would a tourist trip or simple everyday life be when you have to endure a temperature of around 45°C (113°F), with precious little water available?

Desalination plants are Qatar’s main source of freshwater, but there is a limited supply of water stored in the system, and it’s quite scary to imagine what would happen if a natural or man-made disaster were to impact this water source. Rapid demographic and economic changes meant that immediate action was needed to create efficient public services for power and water. With such demand placing pressure on the nation’s resources, it was recognized that a national strategic plan is needed to protect Qatar’s future.

Arcadis, together with KAHRAMAA, the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation, has been increasing Qatar’s water storage, security, and efficiency. However, it has been no small task trying to store water in the desert, and this has been an ambitious, groundbreaking mega reservoir project.

We’ve navigated the construction of five interconnected sites, each containing two-to-four reservoirs, each qualifying for the Guinness World Records. On top of this, an expansion to nine reservoirs at each site is scheduled to be delivered by 2036 because we want to go the extra mile to safeguard the efficiency and storage of Qatar’s water system for the future.  We want the water to be stored close to the people who need it, so each reservoir will be connected directly to the existing water transmission system, and the water quality in circulation will continue to comply with the World Health Organization standards.