Gulf Water Conference kicks off in Doha

DOHA, April 28 (KUNA) -- The 15th Gulf Water Conference kicked off Sunday in Doha, which is organized over three days by the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa), in cooperation with the Gulf Water Science and Technology Association and the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.
The head of Kahramaa, Engineer Eissa Al-Kuwari, said in his speech that achieving water security is an urgent challenge for the world and climate change increases this challenge, pointing that about 2.5 percent of the water on the planet is natural and its largest source is groundwater.
He added that that about four billion people in the world live in areas suffer from water scarcity, according to a report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) expected in 2030 that the global demand for fresh water will exceed 40 percent, in addition to that climate change, Sea level, changing rainfall patterns, and increased intensification of the water cycle, which leads to floods and drought.
Al-Kuwari stated that these challenges require developing plans and determining Priorities such as expanding water treatment through the use of green technology and implementing circular economy policies for water management, stressing the importance of water security in achieving development.
He added that the conference under the slogan (management pace modern technology) tackles the potential of technologies in various fields in the sector for effective water management and to devote the uses of modern technology to achieve the desired goals, strengthen the water .sector and protect its fresh source.
For his part, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Gulf Water Science and Technology Society Engineer Abdulrahman Al-Mahmoud mentioned in his speech the importance of technology in enhancing the sustainability of the water sector, pointing to the leadership of the GCC in keeping pace with technological developments in water production, quality, transportation, distribution, or rationalization.
The President of the Arab Water Council, Dr Mahmoud Abu Zaid expressed his hope that this conference will be an opportunity to exchange opinions, ideas and experiences to reach the desired goal, especially since the conference's topics generally address the development of water conservation and improve its quality.
For his part, Dr. Hamo Al-Omrani, member of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) said that the issue of water is one of the important topics in the region and water security has become a priority.
A number of specialists from the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) are participating in the conference activities, including Dr Mansour AhmAd, Dr Abdullah Al-Maatouq, Dr Mohammad Al-Rashed, and Dr Adel Al-Haddad. (end) sss.gaa