Water management Water is an essential resource, vital for all forms of life. It supports ecosystems, protects human health and enables business activities. We seek to help safeguard it for future generations. Water is an integral part of our operations, and we believe that our activities have the potential to impact water quantity and quality. Across our operations, water is required for activities such as cooling, drilling and completions, enhanced oil recovery and emergency response, making responsible management of water use and water quality a key operational consideration. With its arid environment, the UAE faces significant water scarcity challenges 15 . In response, the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 aims to reduce water demand, improve efficiency and increase the reuse of treated water. In alignment with this strategy, ADNOC is committed to sustainable water stewardship to support both its operational needs and national water security goals. Our operations interact with water resources through withdrawals and wastewater discharges, requiring disciplined management. While seawater accounts for the majority of use, its scale calls for efficient use and controlled discharge. 15 ADNOCs operations in Abu Dhabi are located in a water stressed area as identified by the World Resource Institute (WRI) Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas tool. We take a structured approach to water management, using seawater as our primary source of water, with no reliance on freshwater sources. Desalinated water supplied by municipal and public water supply sources accounts for less than 0.5% of total use. Groundwater use remains limited to brackish and saline sources, but its scarcity elevates the need for more stringent oversight. In addition, we rely on ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ principles, including the use of alternative sources such as produced water, and we also apply robust controls to ensure safe and responsible water discharges across our operations. We manage these impacts through a risk-informed approach anchored in EIAs and supported by baseline studies and ongoing monitoring of water quality, sediments and marine ecosystems. This enables early identification of risks and informs the design and implementation of targeted mitigation measures, environmental management plans and operational controls across the full life cycle of our activities. ADVANCING NET ZERO KEEPING OUR PEOPLE SAFE EMPOWERING LIVES HOW WE OPERATE SUSTAINABILITY AT ADNOC ABOUT ADNOC PROTECTING NATURE AND BIODIVERSITY 63 ADNOC Sustainability Report 2025