KUWAIT CITY - A senior Kuwaiti official called on Tuesday for updating water desalination technology in the GCC countries amid ongoing dependence on the water to secure this vital living resource.

GCC states continue to count on desalinating the sea waters and this warrants continuous action for upgrading and nationalizing the desalination technology, in tandem with dedicating attention to scientific research for enhancing the production, trimming the costs and averting adverse impact on the environment, said Minister of Education Dr Hamed Al-Azmi.

Dr Al-Azmi, also the Minister of Higher Education, was speaking as Representative of His Highness the Prime Minister at the 13th Gulf Water Conference, titled, “Water in the GCC States .. Challenges and Improvised Solutions”. GCC countries, including Kuwait, largely depend on treated seawaters for drinking, irrigation and other purposes.

The conference is a “significant platform” for boosting cooperation among the GCC countries for future planning in the water sector, he said. It is aimed at discussing plans for applying optimum technology to develop water resources and rationalize consumption. Meanwhile, GCC Secretary General Abdulatif Al-Zayani noted that the concern for water in the GCC countries is important for development, noting that large desalination plants had been built to cope with rising needs resulting from the population growth. Dr Samira Omar, Director General of Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), says the water research center at the institute has forecast challenges in the water sector through research and coordination with global research center.

A 630,000 square meter plot of land has been specialized, in the north of Kuwait Bay, to launch water desalination projects with solar energy, she has revealed. Abdul Rahman Al Mahmoud, Chairman of Water and Science Technology Association (WSTA), said the association would present during the event up to 80 task papers on managing underground, over ground and desalinated water.

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