The water hidden in everyday things
Everything you eat, drink and wear took water to grow and make. You never see it, but it is there. Guess how much is hidden in one cup of coffee, then fill a basket and watch the water pile up.
Fill your basket
Add things to your basket and watch the hidden water pile up. Each block is 100 litres.
Swap and save
Small swaps can save hundreds, even thousands, of litres. Try them on your basket.
Whose water is it?
The UAE grows only a small part of its food. Most of the water hidden in your basket fell as rain or was pumped from rivers and wells in other countries.
The goals
Using water well means getting more out of every litre. The world and the UAE have both set targets.
By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and make sure freshwater is withdrawn sustainably, so fewer people suffer from water scarcity.
Raise water productivity to US$110 of economic value for every cubic metre (1,000 litres) of water used: more value from less water.
The same strategy aims to cut total water demand by 21%. Choosing low-water foods and wasting less food helps, even when the water was used far away.
What you can do
A beef burger hides about 2,300 litres. Chicken, eggs or beans a few days a week save thousands of litres.
Food in the bin throws away all the water used to grow it. Buy what you need, store it well and eat leftovers.
One pair of jeans hides about 8,000 litres. Buy fewer, better clothes, repair them, and pass them on.
At home, almost all our tap water is desalinated, which takes a lot of energy. Short showers and fixed leaks still matter.
Sources: Water Footprint Network, Product Gallery (global averages from Mekonnen and Hoekstra, 2010–2011; checked October 2026): coffee 132 litres per 125 ml cup (18,900 L per kg roasted); tea 27 litres per 250 ml cup; beef 15,400 L/kg; chicken 4,325 L/kg; milled rice 2,500 L/kg; bread 1,608 L/kg; apple 125 litres for a 150 g apple; dates 2,277 L/kg; milk 255 litres per 250 ml glass; egg 196 litres for a 60 g egg; cotton shirt (250 g) about 2,500 litres; jeans (800 g) 8,000 litres. Portion sizes used here (150 g burger patty, 150 g chicken, 100 g dry rice, 30 g slice of bread, 50 g of dates) are our assumptions; the litres are the per-kg figure times the portion. Real footprints depend on where and how things are grown. UAE food imports: about 80–90% of food is imported (Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government policy paper, 2018); 85–90% (World Economic Forum report, 2025, as reported by Fast Company Middle East, October 2026). UN SDG target 6.4 and indicator 6.4.1 (change in water-use efficiency over time): sdgs.un.org. UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 (u.ae): raise the water productivity index to US$110 per cubic metre and reduce total water demand by 21%. Checked October 2026.