The governments in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region are expected to spend an estimated $300 billion on water and desalination projects by 2022, said experts ahead of a major industry summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The International Water Summit (IWS), a global platform for promoting water sustainability and addressing the water-energy nexus in arid regions, will be held from January 19 to 22.

It will be hosted by Masdar during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, which also features the World Future Energy Summit, EcoWaste and the Zayed Future Energy Prize Awards.

The event will see more than 70 global experts address key water sustainability and security challenges in the region.

Entitled ‘Promoting Water Sustainability in Arid Regions', the IWS conference (January 20-22) will examine the water-energy nexus and its long-term implications on regional and global food security.

“With Abu Dhabi’s population and economy forecast to grow steadily over the coming years, harmonising strategies that support the sustainable supply of potable water is of key importance to that growth,” remarked Rashed Al Rashdi, the deputy director general at Abu Dhabi’s Regulation and Supervision Bureau (RSB), a partner of IWS.

“The summit is a prime opportunity to share global best practices, and promote collaborative efforts towards conserving precious resources for future generations and ensuring water is available to support future economic prosperity and social development.” said Al Rashdi.

Next year marks the end of the UN’s ‘Decade for Action on Water Scarcity', an initiative designed to promote efforts to fulfil international commitments – known as the Millennium Declaration – made toward water and water-related issues, said the organisers.

Ahead of the summit, Faraj Al Awar, the programme manager of UN Habitat’s Global Water Operators Partnerships Alliance and participant at the IWS conference, said: "Water is perhaps the most complex of the three major resource challenges because it is seen as a free resource and declared by the UN General assembly in 2010 as a human right."

"Yet the reality in arid regions is that it is a scarce and incredibly precious resource. This must be reflected through robust policies, integrated strategies and sustained investment, particularly as populations grow," he stated.

Awar pointed out that the GCC region’s unique climate conditions and resource challenges meant that it could not address its water issues in isolation.

"Water’s relationship with energy and food is critical. At a time when action is necessary, the International Water Summit unites leading thinkers, the scientific community and industry players to advance viable solutions," he noted.
 
“Nothing is more important to the region’s social and economic future than securing water resources,” said Awar. “So demand management must be the main focus of regional and global leaders when they meet in Abu Dhabi,” he added.

The other key topics on the conference agenda include: Water conservation and future water sustainability; strategic direction within the GCC; regional project investment; integrated water resource management; improving water re-use; use of water in industry, both for energy and manufacturing; smart water technology and creating water network efficiency; energy-efficient and clean-technology desalination; used water treatment and the use of water in commercial buildings and the nexus of water and energy in food security.

The IWS is being supported by Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (Adwea), the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi, the RSB, and Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company.-TradeArabia News Service