Water security is the most challenging issue facing several parts of the world today. The United Nations (UN) estimates that 30% of the world’s population lacks access to clean water. This growing global water crisis has made countries and relevant organisations such as the UN work to raise awareness and highlight the dangers posed by water scarcity to human life and global stability and peace. For this purposes the UN established in 1992 the World Water Day which is observed on March 22 every year and basically intends to raise awareness of the importance of freshwater and to promote sustainable management practices.
World Water Day is marked annually with a different theme and focuses on several areas to generate political attention and action. It has inspired individuals and organisations around the world to work towards a sustainable water future.
The State of Qatar due to its geographical location and pioneering global role is present in different forums, and keen to mark World Water Day with efforts to confront the challenge of water security.
Qatar not only adopted the goals and objectives of the sustainable development plan of the UN, but is has aligned them with its national development strategy to ensure clean water supply to everyone and sanitation services while ensuring their sustainable management.
Therefore in order to ensuring access to clean water, Qatar constructed and expanded its first desalination plants, making the country one of the most water-resilient in just two decades.
According to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change H E Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali Al Thani, Qatar’s policy is to provide a reserve production capacity of at least 10 percent to ensure covering the increasing demand for water for the coming years, in addition to following international best practices in operation and optimal use of water.
The Minister, who was addressing the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York City, pointed out that Qatar is carrying out several projects and research to find more solutions to meet water-related challenges. He stressed that Qatar follows the best modern technological methods in desalination plants.
Dr. Faleh noted Qatar’s fulfillment of its obligations as an active partner in the international community, through its active membership in the Group of Friends of Water, and its accession to the international steering committee of the first high-level international conference on the international decade for action water for sustainable development held in Tajikistan in 2018.
