UAE delegation stresses importance of strategic management at World Water Forum in Bali
His Excellency Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, is heading the country’s delegation to the ongoing 10th World Water Forum, organised by the World Water Council and the Government of Indonesia.
Held under the theme ‘Water for Shared Prosperity’, the Forum has brought together 30,000 participants from 180 countries, including government officials and experts, to collaborate and make long-term progress on pressing global challenges.
Delivering a speech at the event, the UAE minister said: “The availability of sustainable water supply is increasingly difficult due to environmental degradation and the impacts of climate change. We must work together to promote efficient and integrated management.”
He underscored the importance of water in the Gulf state, due to “our geographical location in an arid area, the scarcity of our natural water resources, and the high demand for water for development purposes,” reported the Emirates News Agency.
UAE’s focus on desalination and strategic management
His Excellency also noted the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 that covers all elements of the water supply chain in the country and seeks to ensure sustainable and continuous access to safe portable water, under normal and emergency situations.
In order to meet its drinking, domestic and industrial requirements, the UAE is heavily relying on desalination technologies. It is one of the largest seawater desalination producers across the globe. The nation has a strong focus on high efficiency and less emission reverse osmosis.
“The UAE has adopted strategies and initiatives to improve water resources management, support strategic water reserves, and increase the area of efficiency of rainwater harvesting, with the aim of enhancing natural groundwater resources.”
Addressing the audience, Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei also talked about the announcement during COP28 Dubai of the first hydrogeological map and geo-database of the UAE, and also about the role played by the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative.
Since its launch, the initiative has been committed to increasing the importance of water scarcity on the global agenda, facilitating greater international cooperation to address the challenge, and accelerating the development of solutions.
Other notable speeches at 10th World Water Forum
Several global leaders and UN representatives attended the official opening ceremony of the Forum. The event is focused on four main topics, namely water conservation, clean water and sanitation, mitigation of natural disasters, and food and energy security.
In his opening remarks, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that in 2050, 500 million small farmers contributing 80% of the global food supply could become most vulnerable to drought, underscoring the need to strengthen the commitment to collaborate.
After launching Starlink internet services in Indonesia on Sunday, billionaire Elon Musk spoke at the World Water Forum the day after, sharing insights on solving the problem. He noted that there have been tremendous breakthroughs in the desalination sector.
During the speech, the entrepreneur said that he believes that the cost of desalination will continue to reduce at a dramatic rate, highlighting that the planet is made up of 70% water. For more updates from the ongoing event, keep an eye out for our posts.
