UAE’s minister urges investment and action for water sustainability at UN

UAE’s minister urges investment and action for water sustainability at UN

DUBAI / WAM

Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, the Minister of Climate Change and Environment, emphasised the importance of collaboration, data sharing and investment in achieving global solutions for promoting water sustainability in an interactive dialogue and side sessions at the United Nations in New York.

The UN 2023 Water Conference brought together global leaders and experts to identify innovative solutions to water challenges. Speaking to delegates and attendees, Mariam Almheiri expressed the urgent need for action to address water scarcity and environmental preservation intensified by climate change.

“The challenges that were once seen as relevant only for desert countries or small island development states are now being experienced by a growing number of countries to the tune of nearly 2 billion people,” said Almheiri in the interactive dialogue, ‘Water for Climate, Resilience, and Environment: Source to Sea, Biodiversity, Climate, Resilience and DRR,’ co-chaired by Japan and Egypt.

“There is, thankfully, a flip side to these challenges – investment and action, on water supply ecosystem health and food systems have never had higher returns,” Almheiri added.

The UAE is on track to reduce total water consumption by its food sector by more than 15% despite doubling production by 2030. The country also