DOHA: The Arab Ministerial Water Council yesterday held a meeting on the sidelines of the Second Arab Water Conference which opened under the theme ‘Towards Rational Management of Water Resources in Arab Countries — Sustainable and Creative Solutions to Meet Current Challenges.’
The sixth round of the meeting, headed by the Minister of Energy and Industry H E Dr Mohamed bin Saleh Al Sada, discussed a 19-point agenda, including the issue delegated by the Arab Summit on Development where the council was assigned to develop a strategic plan on water security for the Arab region to meet current challenges and requirements and future sustainable development strategies. The plan by the council will be presented to the Arab Summit at the beginning of next year in Tunisia.
Arab countries’ water utilities association has been assigned to start preparing the first report on water supply and sanitation. The council has emphasised that the water issue is to be included in sustainable development objectives beyond 2015.
Preparations for the seventh World Water Forum in South Korea next April were also discussed.
It will enable Arab countries to show achievements and challenges facing the region in the field of water security. The council is keen to cooperate with regional groups and countries, particularly South American countries and Turkey in the area of water resources.
Lauding the regional initiative that links energy, water and food, the council called upon German Agency for International Cooperation, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia and Arab League to mobilise financial and technical resources to implement activities related to the initiative.
It has issued directives to help the preparation committee for the first Arab water conference in occupied territories to be held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo under the patronage of the Secretary-General of the League Dr Nabil El Araby.
It also called on Arab countries to provide financial support to the water desalination plant in Gaza Strip and participate effectively in the donors’ conference The Peninsula
