A strategy will be drawn up by experts to share water resources in the Arab region.

The Water Preventive Diplomacy Project will mobilise experts and professionals to provide forward-looking and preventive solutions to address the issue of water scarcity in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.

It comes amidst projections that by 2025, 1.8 billion people would live in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, while two-thirds of the world’s population would be living under water-stressed conditions.

The project was launched yesterday and is being spearheaded by the International Peace Institute, Middle East and North Africa (IPI MENA), along with 1958 Project Management and Marketing (1958 PMM) and the Water Sciences and Technology Association (WSTA).

The launch event was attended by Electricity and Water Affairs Minister Dr Abdulhussain Mirza, who said that the potential role of water in conflicts was higher in the Mena region than anywhere else.

“Water scarcity has become a threat multiplier, aggravating existing tensions and instability in the Mena region and in many other water scarce regions in the world,” he said.

“In the Mena region, the potential role of water in conflicts is probably more than other regions, especially that more than two thirds of the region’s water resources are flowing from outside, with no binding agreements between the riparian countries.

“Under current conditions and trends of population growth and increasing demands on natural resources, anticipated impacts of climate change on water resources, mistrust and instability, the role of water in conflicts is expected to increase.

“However, world history has shown that water can also be a productive pathway to confidence building, co-operation and conflict prevention, where globally recorded co-operative incidents on water exceed those incidents on water conflict.

“Co-operation to successfully manage and cope with water scarcity has proven to yield more benefits than conflict.”

During his speech, Dr Mirza also highlighted the GCC Unified Water Strategy 2016-2035, which was approved in December 2016 to collectively establish an efficient and secure water sector.

“Situated in one of the driest regions of the world with limited natural resources, and at the same time experiencing an accelerated socio-economic development, the GCC countries are facing immense challenges in providing water to their rapidly increasing population,” he added.

“Yet, despite these conditions, the GCC countries have done well in providing water services to their population and other expanding economic sectors.

“Co-operation, exchange of experiences and best practices between the GCC countries in water resources management, policies, technology, legislation, training and capacity development, and under emergencies have considerably contributed to the sustainability of the water sector in the region.”

The forum, held at the IPI Mena headquarters in Harbour House at the Bahrain Financial Harbour, featured three speakers; Arabian Gulf University professor and senior specialist on water diplomacy Dr Waleed Zubari, International Water Law and Governance expert Dr Lena Salem and Nile Basin Water Co-operation specialist Dr Noha Nasralla.

“(The GCC states) don’t have shared river basins but we have remained a good example in joint initiatives and this could be our role in the project,” said Dr Zubari.

“A common vision is important when it comes to sharing water which should have guidelines on equitable sharing, reasonable utilisation and no-harm-policy.

“Effective co-ordination is important and the GCC can play a major role in this.”

The session was moderated by IPI MENA director Nejib Friji and attended by diplomats, government officials, Shura Council and parliament members, civil society representatives and media members.

raji@gdn.com.bh

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