The move by Saudi Arabia to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034 has created fireworks across the world. Saudi Arabia has shown its capability to host big events; however, issues of sustainability such as water scarcity make it an event that cannot be hosted there. Scanty natural water resources contribute largely to the tremendous challenge of hosting this colossal event. The article addresses water scarcity in Saudi Arabia, implications for hosting the FIFA World Cup, and a potential long-term effect on the region’s ecosystem and population.
Absence of Natural Water Resources in Desert Topography
Saudi Arabia is arguably one of the driest countries in the world. The desert area experiences very little annual rainfall, less than 100 mm. This small amount of rainfall was not even sufficient enough to refill the watery reservoirs, which are currently being consumed at an alarming rate.
Groundwater resources feature underground aquifers. The challenge facing such aquifers is that they are non-renewable and are being depleted fast due to overuse in agriculture and industry. Hosting such an event as the FIFA World Cup would be even more detrimental to the finite water resources.
Overreliance on Desalination
The Saudi Kingdom has highly invested in its desalination plants to meet the nation’s water demands. The country is the world’s largest producer of desalinated water, accounting for more than 50% of its water supply. Desalination is by no means sustainable. It is energy-intensive and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions besides producing toxic brine that kills marine ecosystems when the liquid is released into the sea.
For the FIFA World Cup, a suddenly gigantic intake of water would be required due to infrastructure development for the stadiums and training sites, hotels, and all other infrastructure to be developed. Desalination dependence would put further strain on already strained facilities and exacerbate environmental concerns.
Infrastructure Expansion Rise in Demand Upon Hosting the FIFA World Cup
Hosting the FIFA World Cup requires massive infrastructure building works like stadium construction, hotels, roads, and other recreational facilities. Such gigantic construction works will require enormous quantities of water in their execution process because, in this country, water is already one of the critical issues. Surely, cement production needs a huge quantity of water; main construction work will call for constant water supply for dust control and preparation of materials.
Water Specific to the Event
Water needed for sporting events often extends beyond general consumption. Desert world-class pitches require considerable irrigation systems, which frequently are supplied with desalinated water. That requirement becomes part of the host cost in environmental and economic terms.
For example, grass to be found in stadiums of the World Cup has to meet the demanding requirements of FIFA; hence, it requires regular maintenance and water supply. In a country where water is regarded as gold, the use of water for temporary activities raises questions about the priority and sustainability of such an activity.
Misuse of Aquifers
With the existing reliance of Saudi Arabia on the aquifers, it has already been depleted, and most of the wells in Saudi Arabia are drying up. Overexploitation to meet the demands of the world’s greatest spectacle could ultimately lead to permanent damage. This depletion of aquifers will lead to land subsidence, which can cause damage to the infrastructure and less storehouse ability of water in land for future use. Between 1978 and 1982, the Wasia aquifer’s water level fell by 6 meters, while the Minjur aquifer saw an average annual decline of 7.5 meters from 1978 to 1983.
Climate Change Aggravation
Desalination, as discussed above, is also one of the high-gas-emitting activities because of its increased energy consumption. The increased use of desalination plants to meet World Cup demands will accelerate the emission of greenhouse gases thus undermining the global effort to combat climate change. This is very alarming since Saudi Arabia is already vulnerable to the adverse impacts of rising temperatures.
Loss of Biodiversity
Water shortage also affects the local biodiversity. Natural water bodies in Saudi Arabia are scarce, and their support to an already fragile ecosystem remains highly strained. Hosting the World Cup could further jeopardize local flora and fauna that are already on the verge of extinction, many of which exist only locally. The Kingdom predominantly depends on non-renewable groundwater and energy-intensive desalination to meet its water needs. Desalination provides approximately 70% of the municipal water supply, while groundwater is primarily used for agriculture.
Effects on Local People
Water shortage in Saudi Arabia is not only an environmental issue, but it also raises serious human concerns because poor, less privileged rural populations tend to suffer from problems accessing clean water either for drinking or agricultural purposes. Hosting the World Cup would divert the country’s resources from such communities to urban centers and tourist destinations, thereby exacerbating inequality that is already valid.
Exorbitant Costs of Water Management
It is an expensive affair on the part of Saudi Arabia to deal with water scarcity. Desalination and transportation of water itself is a costly affair, and extra demand during the world cup event would mean heavy public spending. These savings could be reasonably better spent on sustainable long-term solutions rather than a one-time event such as the World Cup.
Conclusion
As such, Saudi Arabia’s vision of hosting the FIFA World Cup 2034 is bold and thrilling; the critical factor that would make it less ideal to host the said event is the occurrence of intense water scarcity in the country. One needs more natural water resources and is overly reliant on desalination, which makes this candidate outweigh any benefits associated with hosting an event of such great magnitude.
Among the top items on its agenda for the future would be selecting a sustainable and environmentally friendly host for FIFA-anchored events. World Cup events like these have immense potential to bring global change, and hosting the tournament by a sustainable and responsible nation would constitute a strong beginning.
