H.E. Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, emphasized that the UAE aims to expand collective efforts and create inventive approaches to combat the worldwide issue of water shortage.
Presenting to the United Nation Security Council Arria-Formula Meeting at the UN 2023 Water Conference, Almheiri said, “The stress on our water systems is contributing in ever-more concrete ways to food shortages, farmer-herder tensions and migration, ultimately undermining stability in the most fragile areas. With impacts of climate change manifesting most concretely through water – via droughts, flooding, tsunamis – these trends are only likely to worsen. The UAE will continue to work with its partners to ensure that the Council focuses on practical ways to warranty that climate risks inform its decision-making.”
Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri is leading the UAE delegation at the UN 2023 Water Conference as the UAE is an elected member of the Security Council. The conference aims to prioritize water on the global agenda and speed up progress towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal of providing clean water and sanitation to all by 2030. Hosted by Tajikistan and the Netherlands, the three-day event started on March 22, which is World Water Day. The conference includes high-level official sessions, plenaries, special events, and interactive dialogues organized by UN Member States, multilateral entities, and other stakeholders.
To address the issue of water scarcity, the UAE is working on developing more energy-efficient desalination plants, sharing knowledge to improve water harvesting, encouraging investment in water conservation technologies, raising awareness to change behaviors and consumption patterns, regulating to reduce the water footprint of homes and businesses, and forming international partnerships, according to WAM.
During the conference, Almheiri will participate in an interactive dialogue on “Water for Climate, Resilience, and Environment: Source to Sea, Biodiversity, Climate, Resilience, and DRR”, co-chaired by Japan and Egypt. The session will focus on opportunities to strengthen cooperation between intergovernmental processes and address obstacles in providing data and information for better water management, climate resilience, early warning systems, and risk-informed decision-making.
Almheiri will participate in side events such as “From UN Water Conference to COP28: Accelerating Water and Climate Action” hosted by the Permanent Mission of the UAE to the UN, Netherlands, Tajikistan and UN Water. She will also take part in a session hosted by Egypt on “From COP27 to the UN 2023 Water Conf: Action on Water Adaptation and Resilience (AWARE)”, where she will share the UAE’s experiences in addressing the challenge of water scarcity and climate change.
Almheiri will engage with global leaders, policymakers, and experts to identify innovative solutions to water challenges and advance progress toward sustainable water management, resilient ecosystems, and equitable access to water.
