Dams help replenish groundwater

Despite the UAE's shortage of fresh water sources, it does have 114 dams built to contain winter rainfall - and officials say there are plans to build almost 70 more. In most countries, dams are constructed along large rivers to ensure a constant supply of water for irrigation and drinking, and to generate electricity through hydropower. In the UAE, dams are built in mountainous regions to recharge groundwater resources.

When rain falls in the winter the dams capture the water, which would otherwise flow into wadis and out to sea. In addition to replenishing the aquifers, the dams help prevent flash floods, which are common in some mountainous areas in the winter. * Vesela Todorova