Water security national priority for UAE: Suhail Al Mazrouei
ABU DHABI (WAM) The UAE is marking World Water Day on Saturday, reaffirming its commitment to sustainable water management through ambitious strategies that promote conservation and ensure a secure, sustainable future for generations to come.Every year on March 22, the world observes World Water Day to highlight the importance of water management and preservation in achieving sustainable development and ensuring the well-being of people.The UAE fully understands the importance of preserving water and sustaining its resources. In this context, the country has adopted strategies and initiatives to improve water resources management, support strategic water reserves, and increase the area and efficiency of rainwater harvesting, with the aim of enhancing natural groundwater resources.The UAE is adopting advanced technical solutions to utilise wastewater to irrigate crops – a solution that contributes to cutting down environmental pollution and reducing the depletion of natural water resources.Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, said, 'The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure plays a key role in managing water resources in the country through developing effective strategies that enhance water sustainability, keeping pace with population growth, urban development, and economic growth. World Water Day is an opportunity to reiterate our commitment to preserving this life-sustaining resource. Achieving water security requires all hands on deck and calls for raising awareness of water conservation practices. The Ministry is keen on leveraging innovative high-tech solutions to ensure optimal use of water resources.'He added, 'We work diligently to increase reliance on non-conventional water resources to produce fresh water. Non-conventional water resources, including desalinated seawater and treated wastewater, contribute 53 percent of our water supply. The UAE mostly relies on wastewater treatment plants to meet its irrigation needs. There are over 160 wastewater treatment plants. They have a total capacity of over 3 million cubic meters a day and reuse 73 percent of treated wastewater to irrigate landscapes in our cities.'The Minister added, 'In the UAE, water is one of the most important national priority issues, given our geographical location in an arid area, the scarcity of our natural water resources, and the high demand for water for development purposes. The UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 aims to ensure sustainable access to water during both normal and emergency conditions.The overall objectives of the strategy are to reduce total demand for water resources by 21 percent, reduce the water scarcity index by three degrees, and increase the reuse of treated water to 95 percent by 2036.'In addition, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure joined forces with its partners to launch the first hydrogeological map and geo-database of the UAE, a milestone achievement in documenting and managing water sources with the goal of sustaining and conserving water. The Ministry also launched the National Energy and Water Demand Side Management Program 2050, which seeks to save energy and water resources and improve the environmental performance of energy and water plants.'The Minister further noted that the UAE is investing in modern technologies to enhance water security, such as rainwater harvesting, reusing wastewater for irrigation, and using clean energy desalination technologies. This contributes to addressing climate change challenges and reducing the depletion of natural resources.He also noted that the country aims to improve the operational efficiency of desalination plants by using renewable energy to reduce the carbon footprint resulting from desalination processes.Al Mazrouei pointed out that the UAE is committed to enhancing the sustainability of its water resources through innovation and international cooperation. The country is adopting ambitious strategies to conserve water and ensure a secure and sustainable water future for generations to come.A United Nations report indicated that the UAE has achieved an average of 100 percent in providing safe drinking water and sanitation services, and 82 percent in integrated water resources management, which is one of the best results regionally.
The UAE seeks to improve this result in the coming years, by ensuring alignment and integration between the country's water, energy, environment, and food strategies.
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