Target Markets

Our Target Markets

Arctic Blue Waters Alasla inc is looking to partner with companies in the following countries to provide a broad client base.

Dubai

Dubai and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), faces significant challenges related to water scarcity. While the they have made impressive strides in managing its water resources, the issue of water scarcity is still a concern. Here are some key points to understand Dubai's water situation:

Geography and Climate

Arid Desert Climate: Dubai is located in the desert with extremely limited natural freshwater sources. The region receives very little rainfall—averaging just a few inches per year. The majority of Dubai's freshwater needs must be met from alternative sources.

Reliance on Desalination

Desalination: Dubai, like much of the UAE, relies heavily on desalinated seawater to meet its water demands. About 98% of the city’s potable water is desalinated. Desalination is the process of removing salt from seawater, making it drinkable.

Energy Consumption: Desalination is an energy-intensive process. While Dubai has made efforts to power desalination plants using more sustainable energy, such as solar power, the environmental and economic costs of desalination remain high.

Groundwater Depletion

Over-extraction of Groundwater: While groundwater is available in Dubai, it is increasingly being depleted due to over-extraction for irrigation and construction needs. The water from aquifers is often brackish (salty), and its quality has been declining over time.

Population Growth and Demand

Rapid Urbanization: Dubai’s population and industrial growth have dramatically increased its demand for water. The large number of tourists and expatriates also contributes to the city's water usage.

Water Consumption: Dubai’s per capita water consumption is very high, often exceeding global averages, due to a combination of factors such as irrigation for landscaping, high usage in hospitality and tourism, and a generally luxurious lifestyle.

Water Management and Conservation Efforts

Smart Water Management: To address the crisis, Dubai has introduced smart water meters and monitoring systems to reduce water waste. The government has also implemented campaigns to encourage citizens to conserve water.

Wastewater Treatment and Recycling: Dubai is increasingly using treated wastewater for non-potable purposes, such as irrigation and cooling in air conditioning systems. This helps reduce pressure on fresh water supplies.

Sustainability Initiatives

Dubai Water Conservation Strategy: The city has set up initiatives to reduce its dependence on desalination, including expanding the use of treated wastewater and investing in water-saving technologies.

Use of Solar Power for Desalination: Dubai has been investing in solar-powered desalination plants to reduce the environmental impact of desalination and make the process more sustainable.

Conclusion

While Dubai is not experiencing a "water crisis" in the traditional sense (e.g., widespread shortages or complete lack of water), the city does face challenges due to its dependency on desalination, limited natural freshwater resources, and growing demand. Ongoing investment providing for the importation of bulk water in quantities upwards of 50,000 DWT is critical to maintaining a reliable and affordable drinking water supply for the future generations in Dubai.

Mexico

World News, Reuters, June 20, 2022 reports:

Mexico is facing a water crisis that affects millions of people across the country and it’s only going to get worse in the future, warns at least one expert.  According to the National Water Commission (Conaqua), 9 million people don’t have access to potable water and another 10.2 million lack basic sanitation infrastructure in their homes.  Protests and public anger are also growing against soda and beer companies whose federal concessions have allowed them to continue to extract water even as residents go without.  More than half of Mexico is currently facing moderate to severe drought conditions, according to the federal water commission (Conaqua), amid extreme heat that scientists blame on climate change.

Bottled Water in Mexico

The bottled water industry in Mexico is huge and very important to the economy.  Mexico is the world’s largest producer of bottled water, and it is also one of the largest consumers.  Mexican companies produce about 3.5 billion liters of bottled water per year. The current population in Mexico is 132 million.

Vietnam

A southeastern Asian country with a population that totals over 86 million people, whose coastline stretches 12 nautical miles, imminently struggles with providing clean water to those living there.  The country has over 2360 rivers and about two-thirds of its population resides near one of Vietnam’s three water basins.  Even so, most of this aquatic supply is unusable and undrinkable.  The ongoing Vietnamese water crisis is so threatening that it is a focal point of national policy and international concern.  Over 13 million Vietnamese do not have sufficient access to clean water for their daily activities, including 2.5 million people in rural areas, where many farmlands are located.  Contaminated water accounts for nearly 80 percent of diseases in the country, including cholera, typhoid, dysentery and malaria each year in the country.  In the Northern region of Vietnam around Hanoi, there is evidence of arsenic contamination in the drinking water.  About 7 million people living in this area have a severe risk of arsenic poisoning and elevated levels of arsenic can cause cancer, neurological and skin problems, this is a serious issue.  

India

With a current population of 1.4 billion that is approximately 18% of the world’s population it has only 4% of the world’s drinking water.  Drinking water shortages are becoming increasingly acute worldwide, but especially in India. About 75% of Indian households do not have drinking water at their premise.  As a result, 200,000 people die every year due to inadequate access to safe drinking water, 84% of rural households do not have piped water access and that 70% of their water is contaminated.  India is currently ranked 120 among 122 countries in the water quality index.  By 2030, it is predicted that demand of the current supply will double and 40% of the population will not have access to drinking water.  

Bottled Water in India

Bottled water market is a symbol of a new lifestyle and health-consciousness rising in India.  While a substantial portion of the population struggles to get safe drinking water, a new generation, particularly in metropolitan areas, is becoming accustomed to paying high costs for bottled water.  Over the past five years, the bottled water market has grown by 40-45 percent.  Higher disposable income, increasing taste for hygiene, improved price, easier availability of packaged drinking water, and a lack of safe drinking water are driving demand for bottled water.  While India is among the top ten bottled water users in the world, its per capita bottled water consumption is estimated to be five liters per year, which is far lower than the global average of$ 24 liters.  Bottled water is becoming one of India’s fastest growing industries.  India’s bottled water was valued at US$297 million in 2021 and it is expected to reach US$892 million by 2029.