Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) has revealed that the total consumption of water in Dubai was reduced by 37 per cent and electricity by 6 per cent in 2008.

“Dewa introduced a series of initiatives to encourage consumers to reduce consumption and eliminate wastage of electricity and water, with the goal of inculcating a culture of saving natural resources and preserving our environment,” said Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, MD and chief of Dewa.

Al Tayer said the reduction in electricity and water consumption in schools in Dubai reached 22 per cent and 42  per cent respectively. The hotel industry recorded a saving of 3 per cent for electricity and 14 per cent for water. Golf clubs also achieved a significant saving of 61.5 per cent in water consumption.

“These figures speak eloquently about the success of these campaigns, which were conducted using global best practices and leveraging key community outreach tools, including advertising, PR, mass communications and direct marketing,” he added.

Dewa’s campaigns included 'Now you Know, Don’t let it go' campaign launched in June 2008, on the heels of the 'Your Decision' campaign which began February 2008. The campaign was implemented in government departments, private organisations and shopping malls to highlight the importance of conserving electricity and water.

These campaigns sought to educate consumers on the simplest and most effective ways to save electricity and water and reducing wastage of natural resources. It also highlighted the expensive process of producing electricity and water to bring it to the homes of consumers.

The Dewa campaigns also sought consumers’ feedback through questionnaires so as to devise more acceptable schemes of conserving energy and water.

Al Tayer felicitated 9 government departments reported substantial savings in water and electricity consumption. He also felicitated organizations that played a key role in making these campaigns successful by disseminating information on conservation.-TradeArabia News Service