Page 30 - Implementing ITU-T International Standards to Shape Smart Sustainable Cities: The Case of Dubai

Implementing ITU-T International Standards to Shape Smart Sustainable Cities – The Case of Dubai

Dubai is currently improving the collection of environmental information linked to the use of
ICTs in order to enhance city environmental services within its different entities. In this regard,
Dubai has been able to collect several KPIs related to the evaluation of environmental
management, especially the ones related to environmental quality. Dubai entities are in the
process of understanding the importance of ICT use to achieve a greater level of efficiency in
environmental quality monitoring and control.

A review of the various entities in Dubai is presented in the ensuing paragraphs.
Dubai Municipality is in charge of waste management, city environmental quality control
(including air quality, wastes, wastewater and sewage management), and green areas
development. Dubai Municipality is utilizing clean and ICT-based technologies to improve
efficiencies in their systems and facilitate decision-making.

Dubai’s Electricity and Water Authority manages energy and
water supply in Dubai. It owns, operates and maintains Dubai’s
power stations and desalination plants, aquifers, power and
water transmission lines, and power and water distribution
networks.

ICTs are becoming an integral part of the delivery of energy and water services especially due to
the inclusion of smart metering solutions for the whole Emirate. Dubai has defined a clear
roadmap to reach a smart grid model in the following years, on which energy and water
consumption patterns will shape the future sustainability of these services. See Box 2 for more
about Dubai’s energy and water provision service.

Box 2 – Smart and integrated management of energy and water in Dubai (DEWA, 2015)

Energy and water provision service is integrally managed by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority,
which is a key partner of Smart Dubai and drives smart transformation. The Emirate is working
towards a smart-grid strategy for efficient management of energy in the City, including demand-
side management and operational improvement activities. Smart-grid implementation is a key
criterion for Dubai to successfully become a smart city. The program to achieve this includes:
advanced metering infrastructure, asset management, demand response, distribution automation,
information technology infrastructure, substation automation, system integration,
telecommunications, and big data analytics. The seamless availability of round-the-clock integrated
and connected services that meet daily living requirements is essential.
In 2009, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority began its transformation into a smart-grid utility. In
2010 the Authority launched a smart application for smart phone and tablet users that provides
over 150 services and features that make life easier for everyone, including people with special
needs, by enabling users to complete transactions anytime, anywhere.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority also offers smart applications and smart meters, which
includes the installation and retrofitting of smart meters across Dubai in order to enable owners
and residents to monitor and measure their energy and water-use. Dubai is installing 200,000
meters in the first phase and providing smart applications to allow remote access to meters. This
will enhance smart grid development and enable the complete monitoring of energy and water-use
in Dubai. Within five years, Dubai expects to have over 1,200,000 smart meters installed throughout
the Emirate.

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