UAE to attend Korea water conservation forum

A high-level UAE delegation will visit South Korea next week to highlight the country’s experience in conserving water.

The World Water Forum is the largest conference of its kind dedicated to water issues.

The visit, organised by Abu Dhabi clean energy company Masdar, will be led by Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed, Chairman of the Crown Prince’s Court of Abu Dhabi.

The delegation comprises representatives of 15 institutions, including three authorities – the Federal Electricity and Water Authority, the Executive Affairs Authority and the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology.

The forum will be held from Sunday to April 17 in Daegu and Gyeongbuk.

On April 14, the UAE’s experience in water conservation will be featured at a special panel called “UAE – Innovating to Advance Water Security”.

The UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science is among the initiatives that will be highlighted. It was launched this year by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs and is managed by the NCMS.

Alya Al Mazroui, the programme’s director, said it was already attracting global interest. “In view of our particular geographical and environmental situation, we believe we can add a distinctive viewpoint and an energetic approach to water security issues,” she said.

“For instance, although the immediate aim of our rain enhancement initiative is to increase the UAE’s rainfall and enhance freshwater supply, we hope to generate results that could have wider applications for countries that might benefit from advances in rain augmentation technology.”

As one of the most arid countries in the world, the UAE is taking seriously “the challenges of water conservation, management and security”, according to Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, director of energy and climate change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The UAE has put sustainability at the heart of its growth strategy and is actively promoting the adoption and expansion of the most advanced and innovative technologies to reduce water consumption, costs and waste using minimal resources and limiting environmental damage to collectively ensure a water secure future,” he said. “The UAE is playing its part to counter a local and global challenge.

“This forum is important to the UAE as water security is an utmost goal for our arid country,” he said. “It enables us to shape discussions with the international community, share our best practices and learn from other nations in order to unite to address this global challenge.”

The country’s 70 desalination plants, which produce more than 90 per cent of its drinking water, will also be highlighted as well as efforts to collect, clean and reuse wastewater.

Among the featured projects is a pilot scheme by Masdar to reduce the energy used in the desalination process and couple it with renewable energy.

According to the United Nations World Water Development Report, the world will face a 40 per cent shortfall in water supplies by 2030 because of increased urbanisation, rapid population growth and a growing demand for water in food production, energy and industry.

The report forecasts global water demand will increase by 55 per cent by 2050 if current usage trends continue.

Organised by the World Water Council, the forum is held every three years as an opportunity for government officials, academia and the private sector to take part in high-level discussions related to global water challenges.