Kuwaiti NGO hosts Arab event on rationalization of water consumption

Kuwaiti NGO hosts Arab event on rationalization of water consumption KUWAIT, April 7 (KUNA) -- Under the patronage of Minister of Electricity and Water Abdulaziz Al-Ibrahim, Kuwait Environment Protection Society (KEPS) organized Monday a conference on rationalizing water consumption in Arab countries.
"Arab countries are located in a region that suffers from scarcity of drinking water resources," Undersecretary of Ministry of Electricity and Water Ahmad Al-Jassar said at the opening speech of the regional conference.
"And Arab people came at the bottom of the world list of average consumption of drinking water per person," he said estimating the Arab citizen''''s annual per capita of drinking water at 70 cubic meters, much below the global average of 200 cubic meters.
The event is the concluding activity of an ambitious KEPS program for small applications for water consumption rationalization.
Al-Jasser stressed that it becomes imperative for Arab countries to come up with more focused and direct measures that would address and stem this resource scarcity.
He laid it bare that water sustainability needs a balance between demand and availability.
A wide array of activities will be held on the sidelines of the conference including lectures, workshops and seminars, to raise people awareness about the need to rationalize the consumption of water. For his part, Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society''''s small applications for water consumption rationalization program Wejdan Al-Egab echoed a similar view.
He underlined that mismanagement and waste of water resources is one of the main challenges facing the world and the Arab world in particular.
The problem is graver in Arab countries due to scarcity of water resources as well as the lack of efficient systems and popular awareness of water resources management, Al-Egab said.
He unveiled that the program, financed by the Kuwait-based Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, has organized several capacity-building workshops for 400 officials and water protection advocates in a number of Arab countries.
The program has also distributed thousands of copies of guides on rational use of water to hotels, educational institutions, students and ordinary people to promote the concept of rationalization of water use, he added.
In addition to Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and Yemen are represented in the regional event with a plethora of experts and officials of state bodies in charge of water and environment affairs. (end) zak.afh.ibi