28 January 2013
JEDDAH - The Arab Water Week 2013 conference kicked off Sunday in Amman, with the issues of cross-border water sharing, wastewater reuse and renewable powered desalination all put at the top of the agenda for discussion. It will close on Jan. 31.
Under the patronage of Prince El Hassan Bin Tala, the event is the second week to be organized by the Arab Countries Water Utility Association (ACWUA) and is in partnership with the Jordanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation, under the umbrella of the Arab Ministerial Council/League of Arab States.
Eng. Khaldon Khashman, secretary general of ACWUA, opened the event by saying that mechanisms are being put firmly in place so that there can be a better understanding of the water sector in the region.
He said that there are now 101 members of ACWUA from 18 Arab countries - surpassing the goal set to have 100 members by 2014.
Addressing delegates, Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, President of El Hassan Science City and the Royal Scientific Society, said: "Managing the scarce resource of water is one of the most important issues...these issues should be considered every week of the year and not just during this week.
"Water is trans-boundary and there should be a fundamental movement of water across borders."
Later in the conference, Hussein Al Atfy, secretary general of the Arab Water Council, said: "Cohesion and integration by countries to share water is not a choice, it's a must."
This year's conference has been organized under the heading of "New Prospects and Challenges for the Water Sector in the Arab Region" and aims to highlight challenges in the Arab water sector and discuss potential solutions under three topics. These include: utilities effectiveness and efficiency; innovative technologies and the private sector and also water science for policy and governance.
Water is increasingly becoming a binding constraint on MENA development. According to the Arab Development Challenges Report 2011 by UNDP, available renewable fresh water resources per capita in the Arab world are among the lowest worldwide.
Threatening levels of water stress exist in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Yemen, while significant stress exists in Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The latter is an apt host country to discuss such challenges, with many quoting Jordan as the third most water scarce country worldwide.
During the keynote address, Dr Abdelqawi Khalifa, Minister of Water and Wastewater Utilities in Egypt, emphasized the importance of the three elements of water provision: regulators, providers and recipients of water services.
"There is no doubt that the rights of citizens is to have a healthy life by drinking clean water," he said, adding: "If we are doing this in a proper way it will be reflected in all aspects of our daily life...water and wastewater remain priorities for our government."
JEDDAH - The Arab Water Week 2013 conference kicked off Sunday in Amman, with the issues of cross-border water sharing, wastewater reuse and renewable powered desalination all put at the top of the agenda for discussion. It will close on Jan. 31.
Under the patronage of Prince El Hassan Bin Tala, the event is the second week to be organized by the Arab Countries Water Utility Association (ACWUA) and is in partnership with the Jordanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation, under the umbrella of the Arab Ministerial Council/League of Arab States.
Eng. Khaldon Khashman, secretary general of ACWUA, opened the event by saying that mechanisms are being put firmly in place so that there can be a better understanding of the water sector in the region.
He said that there are now 101 members of ACWUA from 18 Arab countries - surpassing the goal set to have 100 members by 2014.
Addressing delegates, Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, President of El Hassan Science City and the Royal Scientific Society, said: "Managing the scarce resource of water is one of the most important issues...these issues should be considered every week of the year and not just during this week.
"Water is trans-boundary and there should be a fundamental movement of water across borders."
Later in the conference, Hussein Al Atfy, secretary general of the Arab Water Council, said: "Cohesion and integration by countries to share water is not a choice, it's a must."
This year's conference has been organized under the heading of "New Prospects and Challenges for the Water Sector in the Arab Region" and aims to highlight challenges in the Arab water sector and discuss potential solutions under three topics. These include: utilities effectiveness and efficiency; innovative technologies and the private sector and also water science for policy and governance.
Water is increasingly becoming a binding constraint on MENA development. According to the Arab Development Challenges Report 2011 by UNDP, available renewable fresh water resources per capita in the Arab world are among the lowest worldwide.
Threatening levels of water stress exist in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Yemen, while significant stress exists in Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The latter is an apt host country to discuss such challenges, with many quoting Jordan as the third most water scarce country worldwide.
During the keynote address, Dr Abdelqawi Khalifa, Minister of Water and Wastewater Utilities in Egypt, emphasized the importance of the three elements of water provision: regulators, providers and recipients of water services.
"There is no doubt that the rights of citizens is to have a healthy life by drinking clean water," he said, adding: "If we are doing this in a proper way it will be reflected in all aspects of our daily life...water and wastewater remain priorities for our government."
© The Saudi Gazette 2013
